Growing Pains
by the-Bookworm-Princess
Summary: Angstily follows the lives of just about everyone on Atlantis for the next 18 years. Third story following Bound and Determined and Dirty Little Secret. SheppardEvie. Complete, zomg! Third story in my "Sex, Lies, and Puddlejumpers" 'verse.
1. Love is in the Air

Title: Growing Pains

Author: Jeana

Spoilers: none majorly, but any episode so far is fair game. Mebbe wee bitta "McKay and Mrs. Miller"

Pairings: Who am I _not_ pairing up? Bwaha! John/Evie, Michael/Summer, Mary/Rodney, the rest you'll just have to wait and see… ::evil grin::

Summary: Angstily follows the lives of just about everyone on Atlantis for the next 18 years.

Warning: Rated M for some strong adult themes. The language and sexual content should fit a T-rating.

Disclaimer: The characters of Elizabeth, Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, Ford, Rodney, Carson, Lorne, Zelenka, Laura, Kate, Kavanagh, Caldwell, Hermiod, Chuck, Felger, Jeannie, Sam, Teal'c, Daniel, Jack, Simpson, Lee, and Landry belong to Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, MGM, and all that jazz. All other characters are my own and may not be used without permission. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, evil or benign, just might be on purpose.

Author's Note: Oh, my word, Becky. Note to self, do not attempt novel. Ever. Again. Anyways, it's been crazy fun, and I just want to say that I have the awesomest beta, Commodore Norrington, and the awesomest muse, Tigger, EVER! Like, seriously. Y'all do not even realize. Anyways, the first several chapters are setting up relationships and having babies. Things'll really get kicking around chapter 6 or 7. To anyone who is reading this(the story, not the author's note, you goofy)sit back and prepare for a looooooong ride. Hopefully an enjoyable one. Oh yes, and reviews make my world go round. ;) Without any further ado…Growing Pains.

* * *

**One Month Old - May 2006**

_"Kiss me down by the broken tree house. Swing me upon its hanging tire. Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat. We'll take the trail marked on your father's map. Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out on the moonlit floor. Lift your open hand, strike up the band, and make the fireflies dance. Silver moon's sparkling. So, kiss me." - Sixpence None the Richer, "Kiss Me" _

**Pretty big spoiler for the movie "While You Were Sleeping"**

"Higher, McKay! Stop touching my butt!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Rodney cried, replacing his hand on John's waist.

"Now, get it right this time," John said with a sigh. "One, two, three… One, two, thr--oww, my foot!"

"Okay, you know what?" Rodney sighed, dropping his hands. "Maybe this was a bad idea. I'm just not very coordinated."

"You got that right," John muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said… 'you gotta keep trying,'" John covered quickly.

Rodney eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then gingerly took John's hand in his once more. "I suppose practice makes perfect."

"How about we try it with music this time?" John suggested.

"Sure. Why not?" Rodney said. "I'm still not going to get it."

"Hey, you're doing this for Mary," John reminded, selecting one of the slower tracks from the waltz CD Rodney had "borrowed" from Mary.

"Yes, yes," Rodney nodded, placing his hands appropriately.

"And one, two, three," John counted.

Carefully watching his feet, Rodney managed to move about the room without stepping on John's toes this time.

"Much better, McKay," John said. "Now twirl me."

Rodney smirked. "That just sounds amusing coming from you." At the look he received from his friend, he closed his mouth and did as he was told, removing his hand from Sheppard's waist and gently spinning him around in a circle. Feeling brave, Rodney attempted to dip his comrade.

"Very graceful, darling," John teased.

"Oh, yes, bravo, McKay," came a voice from the now-open door.

Startled, Rodney dropped John, who landed on the floor with a surprised yelp.

"Wow, can you teach me _that_ one?" Kavanagh asked with a smirk.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock, Kavanagh?" Rodney asked, annoyed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the pony-tailed one said mockingly. "I didn't realize I was interrupting something."

"Oh, why don't you go find the cure for cancer or something, Kavanagh?" John suggested snarkily as he stood up. "Unless _you'd_ like to teach McKay how to dance?" He looked over at Rodney and grinned. "We were just about to start on the tango."

"We _what_?!" Rodney spluttered.

"Oh, thanks for the invitation," Kavanagh said sarcastically, "but I think I'll leave you two ladies alone." Smirking at his own "cleverness", he left.

"We're going to _tango_?" Rodney asked, looking worriedly at his friend.

John rolled his eyes. "It was a joke, Rodney."

"Oh." Rodney nodded. "Ha, ha."

"Now, let's try this one more time," John said, restarting the music. Rodney sighed as he resumed the position. "One, two, three… One, two, three…"

XXXXXX

'_One, two, three… One, two, three…'_ Rodney counted in his head as he gently glided Mary around the room in his quarters later that night.

"Mm, this is wonderful, Rodney," she said as he spun her out, and then gracefully back into his arms. "Why didn't you ever tell me you knew how to dance?"

"You never asked," Rodney replied with a smile.

Praying that he wouldn't drop her, as he had done with Sheppard nearly every time, he gently dipped her, loving the smile that lit her face as he did so. "So graceful," she murmured. They danced for several more minutes, until the song ended. "Thanks, Rodney," she said with a smile. "I really enjoyed that."

"No problem," he said, turning off the CD player; he didn't want to tempt fate by trying a second dance. "So, you want to go into the bedroom now?"

Mary eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because the bed's in there, obviously," he answered with his trademark eye roll.

She put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Rodney, we've talked about this…"

"B-but, I've got everything set up in there," he insisted.

Mary's eyebrows rose. "Set up for what?"

"For the tape," he said, growing flustered. "The movie!"

She looked absolutely horrified. "What makes you think I would ever be into that?"

Rodney blinked at her confusedly. "I thought you liked this kind of movie?"

When Mary realized the hugely false conclusion to which she had just jumped, she nearly started laughing. Instead, she continued to frown. "I told you I wanted to wait," she reminded, not being able to resist the urge to keep teasing him. Who knew how long it would take him to realize the double meaning of what he was saying, if ever.

"Why would you want to wait?" he asked, perplexed. "It'll be really great. It comes highly recommended."

Mary almost lost it at that. Biting back a guffaw, she managed a stifled, "I don't care."

"I got out Bill Pullman for you!" he cried, not understanding why she wouldn't just watch this movie with him.

"Is that what you call it?" she asked, barely suppressing her grin.

"I'm pretty sure that's what Evie called him," he said, after thinking for a minute.

Here, Mary couldn't help herself, and burst out laughing.

"What?" Rodney asked. "What'd I do?"

"Oh, gosh, Rodney," she managed amidst loud laughter. "You're too adorable!" Rodney always looked super-cute when he was confused.

"Well… I'm glad I amuse you," he replied, still not seeing what was so funny. "Now, do you want to watch this movie or not?"

"Yeah, just--" Another burst of laughter interrupted her sentence. She was holding her sides now. "Just gimme a minute, dear."

Rodney nodded. "I'll be in the bedroom."

Mary followed him a minute later, after wiping her eyes. "So what's this movie called, anyway?" she asked, giggling again.

"'While You Were Sleeping,'" he said, starting the old VHS on the television monitor he had appropriated.

"I don't think I've ever seen it," she said, propping up one of his pillows against the wall at the head of the bed. Crawling onto the bed next to her, he gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Mary rested her head on his shoulder as previews from over ten years ago began playing. Grinning slyly, she turned to look up at her darling beau. "I've never much cared for previews…"

"Oh," Rodney said, reaching for the remote. "Well, I can fast for--" Mary silenced him with a kiss. A very passionate, thorough kiss. She smirked against his lips, knowing how worked up she was getting him. Then she stopped with a teasing nibble when she heard the opening lines of the film. "Oh, look, the movie's starting," she said innocently as she returned her head to rest on his shoulder.

Rodney groaned. "You're so evil."

"Aww, but you know you love it, Wod-Wod," she teased, turning her head to nuzzle his neck with her nose.

He sighed. "Must you call me that?"

She giggled. "Yes. It makes me laugh. Now, hush and watch the movie."

Although Mary didn't notice, Rodney began to grow increasingly nervous as the movie progressed. "I object," the heroine-turned-bride said, interrupting the priest at the climax of the movie.

"I didn't get to that part yet," the priest said, utterly confused.

"Dr. Mary Heightmeyer," a voice suddenly called over the comms.

Mary groaned and tapped her earpiece. "Yes?"

"Doctor, we need you down at the lab," one of the assistants informed her. "It seems the, uhh… What _is_ that thing? Oh, okay. The… '_pig-lizard'_ has somehow managed to escape."

She sighed. "I'll be right there," she said, slipping out of Rodney's arms.

"Wait, where are you going?" Rodney asked, grabbing her hand.

"I have to go, Rodney," she said, gently kissing him. "My stupid specimen has run off."

"Nonono, you can't leave yet," he said, glancing anxiously at the TV screen.

"We can finish the movie another time, dear," she said, putting her shoes back on.

"Can't you wait just a little while longer?" he begged.

"Rodney, it's just a movie," she said, heading for the door. "We'll finish it later, I promise." Tapping her headset once more, she announced, "I'm on my way." However, upon reaching the door to Rodney's quarters, she found it to be locked. She sighed. "Rodney, come on."

He was at her side a second later, tugging on her hands. "Please, Mary, ju-just stay for a little while longer!" he pleaded, glancing back at the movie again.

"I _can't_, Rodney," she insisted, and kissed him deeply, hoping to satiate him enough for him to let her go. "Now, please unlock the door."

"Dr. Heightmeyer?" the lab assistant prompted.

Grabbing her earpiece, Rodney yelled at it, almost hysterically, "Just five more minutes!"

Yanking the mic out of his hands, Mary exclaimed, "Rodney Nathaniel, what is wrong with you?"

"Mary, I--"

"Unlock this door right now!"

Defeated, he sighed and let go of her hands. Mary waved her hand in front of the sensor and quickly left. Slowly returning to his bed, Rodney muttered curses as he sank onto the mattress. He watched as Bill Pullman dropped an engagement ring into the token slot of the heroine's train station booth. Sandra Bullock smiled as she gazed adoringly at the ring and then looked up into her lover's eyes. Rodney sighed dejectedly as he fingered the small box in his pocket.

* * *

"I cannot _believe _he slept through that," John said amusedly as he looked at his son, sleeping soundly in his crib.

"You insinuating something, John?" Evie teased as she put her pants back on.

"Well…" He smirked. "You _are_ kind of loud."

She glanced over her shoulder as she brushed out her tousled hair. "You got a problem with that?"

"Oh, no, ma'am," he answered with a grin. "Just don't want to warp the poor child."

"I think you should worry a little less about Aiden and a little more about how you're going to leave here unseen after hours." She reached for her black shirt, but didn't put it on right away. Turning sideways, she looked at herself in the mirror, poking at the remaining skin that had yet to stretch back after her pregnancy. It wasn't much at all, but Evie still sighed dejectedly as she poked it again.

Suddenly she felt arms around her waist. "Would you stop that? You're beautiful," John assured her and kissed her neck.

"Mmm," Evie sighed contentedly and let her head fall back against his shoulder. "So you keep telling me." She smiled as his lips continued to tickle her neck.

"Mmhmm, and I mean it, _Evangeline_," he murmured against her skin.

Evie smiled. He only used her whole name when he was either very angry or very pleased with her; and he was now especially delighted. "Say it again," she whispered.

"_My_ Evangeline," he said softly next to her ear and she shivered; she loved that commanding, possessive tone. "Evangeline _Sheppard_," he said, turning her around. "Now doesn't that sound just perfect?"

Evie nodded and grabbed the edges of his jacket, pulling him in for a kiss. They were interrupted, however, by Rodney's voice buzzing in John's ear.

"I, uhh, guess that's my cue to leave," he said after listening to Rodney's message and then heading for the door. Before he'd quite made it, however, he returned for that "one last kiss."

When he released her moments later, Evie laughed as she pushed him towards the door. "Would you go, you goof?" she said with a giggle. "We can't have you getting in trouble with Rodney."

"Well, you don't have to be so pushy," he teased.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled, managing to swat him playfully as he left her quarters.

XXXXXX

Later that night, a little after ten, Rodney found himself at Mary's quarters. He had already gone to bed, as he was going off-world the next morning, but he couldn't sleep. He felt bad for the way he had acted. Granted, he had had a very good reason to be so on edge, but Mary didn't know that, and deserved an apology for his treatment of her. He slowly raised his hand, paused, then followed through and knocked.

A few seconds later, Mary opened the door; she didn't appear to have been trying to sleep, as she was still dressed. "Rodney," she greeted, crossing her arms and frowning. "Can I help you?"

"I came to apologize," he mumbled, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"For?" she prompted, concealing her smirk.

"For acting like a jerk," he sighed.

"Apology accepted," she said after pausing a moment to screw with his mind.

He looked up. "Really?"

"What, you _want_ me to stay mad at you forever?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no, I just thou--" He stopped when Mary began giggling. "What?" He followed her gaze down to his boxers. His navy-blue, rocket ship boxers. "Oh…crap." In his haste to say he was sorry, he had forgotten to put on any pants.

Mary laughed again. "No, I think they're adorable, but I don't get the shirt," she said, referring to his t-shirt that declared in bold letters, _Physicists Understand the Theory of How to Do It_.

"Oh, see…it goes with these other shirts and--" Realizing that it was _Mary_ he was talking to, he stopped. "…I never really liked them that much, anyway."

She looked at him quizzically. "Okay…" When Rodney just stood there for a moment, looking at her, Mary suppressed another laugh. "Is there something else you need, Rodney?"

"Oh. Sh-crap." He changed his curse at a raised eyebrow from Mary. "The tape! I just now realized… No wonder you were laughing! I swear I didn't mean it like that… Why didn't you say something?"

Mary laughed. "I was having too much fun with you," she answered with a smile.

Rodney nodded slowly. "Hmm." After a moment of thinking, he looked back up at her. "Well, I should probably…" He turned to go, but Mary caught his arm and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

She smiled as she let go of his arm. "Goodnight, Rodney."

He gave her one of his dopey grins. "'Night."

XXXXXX

"Happy birthday, babe!" Summer announced cheerily as she dropped an envelope into her husband's lap at breakfast.

Michael smiled as his wife planted a kiss on his cheek. "Aww, you shouldn't have," he said, meticulously unsealing the card.

"Of course I should have," Summer insisted as he gently pulled out the cutesy card. "And I have a surprise for you, too," she added perkily.

Noting Evie and Johnson's expectant faces, Michael read aloud the endearing message on the front, then opened the card. "Happy birthday," he said with a smile, reading Summer's note, "to the best husband and father a woman could ev--" Michael did a double-take. "Ohh!" he cried, tapping the card with his finger. "Ohhh!" He looked up excitedly at Summer, who was beaming. "Yo-you mean you're--?" Summer bobbed her head up and down emphatically.

In his excitement, Michael jumped up so fast that he knocked his chair over backwards. Joyfully pulling his wife to her feet and into his arms, he attempted to form a congratulatory sentence, but he only got as far as, "Summer, that's--that's--" before spontaneously dipping her and kissing her senseless.

XXXXXX

"I'm so sorry to dump him off on you like this," Evie said, gently placing the sleepy baby in Rodney's arms.

"No, no," Rodney assured her, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt. "You go; we'll be fine." Realizing that he was no longer in the arms of his mother, Aiden began to cry. "Good grief, he hates me!" Rodney lamented.

"No, Rodney," Evie said, rolling her eyes and then fishing in the diaper bag for a bottle. "He's just hungry. Here." She handed him the small bottle of milk. "Okay, so when he cries, what do we do?" she asked, quizzing him.

Rodney sighed, gently rocking the infant. "See if it's hungry, see if it's got hiccups, rock it, put it to sleep," he recited.

"And what's the other thing to check?"

Rodney thought hard for a moment. "I forgot one?"

Evie sighed and answered, "Yes, see if he needs changing." When he looked up at her in horror, she asked, "You _do_ know how to change a diaper, right?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Lieutenant Brooks," Johnson called over the radio.

"Coming, sir!" she answered quickly. "Thanks, Rodney," she said, lightly kissing his cheek before quickly leaving his quarters.

Rodney sighed as he sat down on the edge of his bed. "Now, you're going to be good for me, aren't you?" he asked the little one in his arms. Aiden merely cried in response. "Oh, stop that." Rodney fumbled with the bottle. "Here, will this hush you up?" he asked, slipping the nipple into the baby's mouth. Aiden stopped crying and immediately began sucking. Rodney sighed. "Much better."

Five minutes later, the calm was broken, however. Pushing the nipple out of his mouth, Aiden began spitting up. "Nononono!" Rodney cried, reaching in the diaper bag for a burp cloth. "Bad, Aiden, _bad_!" Gingerly wiping off his arm and Aiden's mouth, Rodney admonished, "Don't even think about doing that again, you understand?" Aiden merely made a sucking motion with his lips, prompting his babysitter to return the bottle to the infant's mouth.

When the bottle was empty, Rodney reached into the bag for the cloth so he could burp the baby. But Aiden wasn't planning his schedule around Rodney. This time he spit up a great deal more, onto Rodney's arm _and_ shirt. "That did _not_ just happen!" Rodney cried, furiously wiping himself off with the cloth. "I swear I'm never having kids! Never, ever, ever, _ever_! You nasty, inconsiderate, manipulative, filthy, litt--"

Aiden's tiny yawn stopped Rodney's tirade mid-sentence. Aiden made gentle grunting noises as he flailed his little arms. Suddenly, his hand moved into his line of vision and it startled him, causing him to jump. Rodney couldn't help but chuckle. "You are too cute, you know that?" When Aiden yawned again, Rodney walked over to his bed and began arranging the pillows like Evie had told him. Then he gently placed the baby inside the "fence" of pillows, preventing Aiden from rolling off the edge of the bed. But Aiden wanted to be held, and announced this fact very loudly. Rodney picked up the crying infant and rocked him for a minute before trying to put him on the bed again. Aiden didn't approve.

On the sixth round of this routine, Rodney was about to strangle the poor child. "Why must I hold you?" he lamented to the quiet baby in his arms. "Just go to sleep, you ninny!" He pointed his finger at Aiden to emphasize his point, but far from being intimidated by the gesture, the boy grabbed onto his finger, as he was fond of doing. "What? Are you trying to make me not be mad at you? Huh? Because that's not going to work…" In response, Aiden pulled Rodney's finger into his mouth and began sucking on it. "Oh, that is _so_ disgusting," Rodney groaned, but didn't withdraw his hand.

After a few moments, Rodney didn't even mind anymore. "You know something?" he addressed the infant. "I think I like you." Aiden continued to stare at Rodney's finger whilst he sucked, effectively rendering himself cross-eyed.

About an hour later, Rodney smelled something. Something not so pleasant. "Oh, Aiden, you _didn't_!" he cried. Aiden blinked at him innocently, but Rodney knew what he had to do. He gently set Aiden on the bed and the boy immediately started crying. Then Rodney began digging through the diaper bag, searching for the necessary items, while mumbling curses to himself. So far, he'd been lucky enough to escape this part of being "Daddy."

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he called, praying it was Evie. Apparently, luck was still with Rodney, and the child's mother walked into his quarters. "Oh, thank God," he said, gently picking up the baby and thrusting him at her. "Take it, take it!"

"You two have fun?" she asked, rocking the baby to quiet his sobs.

"Oh, yes, loads of fun," Rodney said, picking up the bag and ushering them toward the door. "Can you please take it somewhere else?" he begged. "It smells."

Evie smirked. "You keep calling him an 'it', Rodney, and he's going to grow up with a gender complex, you know," she teased.

Rodney looked at the boy, who had calmed down again, and snorted. "If he's anything like Sheppard, he'll know _exactly_ where he stands with the opposite sex."


	2. I Heard the Bells on Wedding Day

A/N: Sorry, y'all, I meant to put this in my first note. Since this story has a more initimate feel to it, I'm switching from "Sheppard" to "John". Zelenka will also mostly be reffered to as "Radek."

* * *

**One Month Old - May 2006**

_"Wish I could somehow let you know, that all the way from here to Mexico you're the one and only girl for me. Hehe. Tu es un. Bonjour. Oui, oui. And my tongue gets tied so quick. I get so nervous, I'm feelin' sick. And turn into the worlds worst Romeo every time I try to say 'hello'. You're so fine. Been on my mind. Get nervous every time I see you hop online. Every time I want to say 'hello'. Every time I want to stay, I go. Can't ever find the words to let you know. Sometimes you play my mind a million times." - Hawk Nelson, "Hello" _

"…and to love, honor, and cherish him all the days of your life?"

"I do," the jittery bride promised.

Father Braddick repeated the vows to the nervous groom, who then answered shakily, "I do," as he squeezed his bride's hands.

"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife," Braddick announced with a smile. "You may kiss the bride."

The happy groom grinned and lovingly kissed his new wife. The rest of Atlantis rose to their feet and applauded. Excited at the prospect of the reception, the man took his radiant bride's hand and the two of them skipped back down the aisle, grinning widely.

The reception was indeed everything the groom had hoped for. Drinks all around! He decided that it was a good thing he and his bride weren't leaving for their honeymoon until the next morning; he figured by the time the reception was over he'd be too drunk to treat his wife to a proper honeymoon. However, one of his friends, upon seeing the amount of alcohol his bud had consumed, stopped him from drinking any more.

XXXXXX

"I don't wanna know if it's a boy or girl," Summer said later that evening with a blissful smile. "I want to be surprised."

Michael nodded. "Yeah. Ooh! We get to name it, don't we?" he said perkily, as if the thought had never occurred to him before.

Summer and Evie laughed. "Yes, Michael," she giggled. "We get to name it."

"How about Michael, Jr?" he suggested jokingly.

Summer rolled her eyes. "I think one Michael is more than enough," she teased, then looked thoughtful for a minute. "Although…Michael would make a nice middle name," she mused.

"Yeah," her husband nodded in agreement.

"Evie, where's your baby name book?" Summer asked, turning to her friend.

Evie shook her head and answered, "I never had one. As soon as I found out it was a boy, I knew wanted to name him after Ford."

Summer nodded sadly, remembering fond memories of the Lieutenant.

"What about Cameron?" Michael suggested. "I had a cousin named Cameron."

"Babe, didn't he end up in jail?" Summer questioned.

"Okay, no Cameron…"

"And what makes you think it's going to be a boy, anyway?" Summer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't," Michael answered. "Just hoping," he grinned.

"Well, I suggest we pick out a boy _and_ a girl name," she stated.

"Hilary!" her husband tossed out after a pause.

"As in Clinton? I think not."

"Isabelle?" he joked. Summer just rolled her eyes, trying to think of a name that she liked.

"Brianna?"

Summer made a face.

"Are you just going to veto every name I suggest?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "It's not like you're throwing any out there."

Summer just shrugged.

After about ten minutes, they had decided upon "Skylar" if their baby turned out to be a girl, but they still had no baby boy name.

"Arom!" Evie suddenly cried, then started giggling.

"Where on earth did you hear that one?" Summer asked.

"One time when I was talking to Dr. Jackson about his ascension," Evie answered. "He told me that when he was sent back the first time, naked, the people who found him named him Arom. It means 'naked one.'" She giggled again.

"Definitely not Arom, then," Summer replied.

"Hmm… _Aaron_, on the other hand, is kind of nice, don't you think?" Michael asked.

Summer tried it out, "Aaron Murphy… Aaron Michael Murphy." She nodded. "I think I like that."

"Hey, guys," Mary said, approaching their table. "What's up?"

"Hey, Mary," Summer greeted. "Pull up a chair." Mary did so. "And Michael and I named our baby is what's up," she announced with a happy smile.

Mary smiled as well. "Awesome. What did you pick?"

"Aaron if it's a boy," Michael answered with a grin, proud that Summer had finally accepted one of his choices. "And Skylar if it's a girl."

Mary nodded. "Nice."

Summer then turned to Evie. "What about you, girl? You two gonna have another one anytime soon?"

Evie choked on her drink at the same time as Mary cried, "You two who?!"

Summer's eyes widened. "Oh…crap…"

Michael raised his eyebrows as he lightly patted Evie on the back whilst she coughed. "She doesn't know?" he asked, shocked.

"I don't know what?" Mary asked, starting to get upset.

Evie groaned and banged her head on the table a few times.

"Evie, if you're still making moves on _my_ boyfriend, I swear--"

"Believe me, I would _never_," Evie muttered. When Mary looked confused, Evie sighed. "Mary…can you keep a secret?" she asked. "Like, I mean, you will tell no one, you will take this to your grave?"

Mary looked at her quizzically, then answered. "Yes…"

"I never had sex with Rodney," Evie informed her, a little more bluntly than she meant to.

"What?!" Mary cried.

Evie sighed and grabbed Mary's arm, pulling her closer. Then she proceeded to whisper the truth into the other woman's ear.

Mary's eyebrows continued to rise up and up and up as Evie explained Rodney's "heroic" sacrifice. When Evie was done, Mary sat there in shock for a moment, then she jumped up. "I-I have to go talk to Rodney!" she said, starting to leave. Suddenly, she turned back around and hugged Evie tightly. "Thank you."

"No problem!" Evie called, watching Mary run off in the direction of McKay's lab.

As luck would have it, Rodney was working late in his lab, all by himself. He looked up when he heard the door whoosh open and saw Mary moving quickly towards him. "Oh, you wonderful man!" she gushed.

"Of course I am," he said with that smug McKay grin. "To what wonderful action are you referr--" Mary silenced him with a passionate kiss. After recovering from his initial surprise, Rodney began tangling his fingers through her soft hair.

Several minutes later, Rodney pushed her back, gasping for oxygen. "What was that for?"

"Evie told me what you did for her and John," she said, gazing at him adoringly.

"Oh. _That_."

"That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard," she said, sitting down in the chair next to him.

"Glad you approve," he said, returning his attention momentarily to the tablet in front of him. Propping her elbows on the desk, Mary rested her head on her hands and continued to watch him.

After thinking for a moment, rather than actually reading the data before him, Rodney decided to retry his plan from the other night. Mary's recent display of affection had given him the courage to ask _the_ Question. But how to go about it? "Do you like me?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wanted to kick himself for asking such a stupid question.

"No, not at all," Mary answered without pausing. "I just have this thing for kissing people I consider to be jerks."

Rodney laughed nervously. After a pause, he remarked casually, "It was a nice wedding, don't you think?"

"Mmhmm. She looked so beautiful in that dress," Mary replied.

Another pause. "So…what do you think of marriage?"

Mary smiled, thinking that she might have an inkling of where this was going. "I think it would be wonderful. Once you're sure you've found the right person," she added, just to mess with his head a little.

Growing slightly flustered, Rodney tried a different approach. "We went to this planet once with an interesting ritual, mating ritual actually – well, not a mating ritual, that sounds primitive – well, they were primitive, but not that primitive, I suppo--"

"There you are, Rodney!" John said, entering the lab. "I was wondering if you cou--What?" If looks could kill, the glare Rodney was shooting the Colonel would have John on the floor, gasping for air.

"I'm. Busy." If Rodney could have one super-power, he would have struck down this man with lightning for interrupting him.

'_Ooh, one-word sentences,'_ John thought to himself sarcastically. '_I'm really scared.'_ Then he looked from Rodney to Mary and back again. His eyebrows shot up as his mind connected the dots. "Well…I guess it can wait. I'll just… You two have a pleasant evening." And with that, he quickly ducked out of the lab. Mary and Rodney were alone once more.

After a pause, Mary turned to Rodney. "You were saying?"

"Right, right," Rodney tried to remember where he had left off. "I, uhh…" The look Mary was giving him was definitely _not_ helping. It was that sweet, attentive-yet-flirtatious, eyelash-batting one. '_Buck up, Rodney!'_ he ordered himself. Noting Mary's still expectant look, he tried frantically to think of what he had said last. "Wo-would you like to try covalent bonding?" he asked, beginning to grow desperate.

"Well…I think I walked in during the _wrong_ part of that conversation…" Zelenka said as he entered the lab.

Rodney groaned in frustration. "What do you need?" he nearly snarled at the Czech.

Radek frowned at Rodney. "I left my tablet in here and am returning for it," he said, crossing to where he had set the data pad and picking it up.

"Well, now you have it," Rodney said snippily. "Goodbye."

Zelenka shot the astrophysicist an evil glare before turning to leave. "_Někdo potřebovat co naléhavě kafe_," he muttered to himself as he left the lab.

Mary tried to hide her amused smile. She now knew very well where Rodney was headed. "Where was I?" he asked, flustered.

"Mating rituals," she reminded.

"Mating rituals?" he repeated. "Wh-why was I talking about mating rituals?"

She stifled a laugh. "No idea, dear."

"Huh…" He returned to his tablet for a minute, then looked back up at her. "If, hypothetically speaking, I were to hypothetically ask you to hypothetically marry me…what would you, hypothetically, say?"

Mary thought for a minute, then smiled. "Well, if we're speaking hypothetically, I'd have to hypothetically decline your hypothetical proposal, because I'd already hypothetically be married to Ralph Fiennes."

When Rodney looked slightly hurt by this comment, Mary opened her mouth to apologize, but was cut off by a perky female voice.

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary," said Kate as she came into the lab. "You're late for our ice cream date."

"Umm, y'know I was thinking we might need to reschedule that," Mary said, motioning with her head and eyes for her sister to _leave_. "I'm having a scientific discussion with Dr. McKay right now." More head-jerking.

"I see," Kate said, nodding slowly with that knowing smile. "Well, tomorrow night then."

"Sounds good," Mary agreed, then quickly added, "Bye."

Kate tried her best to hide her smirk as she left the lovebirds alone.

Rodney sighed in frustration. "I swear, if one more person comes in here while I'm tryi--"

"Good evening, Rodney," Carson said as he entered the room. "If you'll excuse me, Mary, I just need to steal Rodney away for a minute."

Rodney couldn't take it anymore. "For crying out loud, can't a man propose?!" he hollered exasperatedly.

Carson's face lit up and Mary barely contained her excited squeal. "Oh, my goodness!" Carson explained. "How very wonderful! Well, I'll just leave ye to that then!" he said, rushing out of the lab to give them some privacy.

Growing close to hyperventilating, Rodney took Mary's hands into his own trembling ones and began nervously, "I know I've never told you, but…I love you. Really a lot." Mary smiled and nodded anxiously. "Mary, will you marry...wait... Marry Mary...wait, no…Mary--"

"Yes."

"Will you--huh?"

"Yes," she repeated, that ecstatic smile that Rodney loved lighting up her face. Before he had a chance to react, she wrapped her arms around his neck and proceeded to kiss him senseless for the second time that night.

This was truly the happiest moment of Rodney McKay's life, and there was only one thing that could ruin it. And, as Rodney had apparently ticked off the powers that be, that one thing decided to rear it's ugly head. Or rather, _his_ ugly head.

"Dr. McKay, have you seen my-- For pete's sake, McKay, this is a _lab_, not a hotel."

Rodney tore himself away from Mary and glared at Kavanagh. But he was too happy to let the other scientist destroy the moment. "Kavanagh, that hairstyle violates the dress code," he announced, marching over to the other man.

Kavanagh rolled his eyes. "What dress code?"

"The one I just implemented," Rodney answered, grabbing Kavanagh's ponytail and dragging him across the room by it.

"Oww! McKay, let go, dammit!"

Rodney did let go once he'd reached the threshold of the lab. Then he shoved Kavanagh out into the hall and closed the door, ordering it, '_Lock, damn you!'_ "Now," he said, turning to Mary, who was looking very much impressed by _her fiance's_ show of bravado, "where were we?"

From outside the lab, the group of waiting people cheered. "Well," John said, "Carson and Laura down, Rodney and Mary to go."

* * *

"Někdo potřebovat co naléhavě kafe" means "_Somebody_ needs coffee." :D 


	3. Oh, Baby!

Author's Note: Okay, okay, _one last thing_ I forgot. ::sigh:: If and when I incorporate plottishly things from the actual show, please forgive the fact that they won't follow the show's timeline; this fic is an AU, 'member? ;)

* * *

**Nine Months Old - January 2007**

_"We're having a baby, my baby and me. You'll read it in Winchell's that we're adding a limb to our family tree. We're pushing our carriage. How proud I will be. There's nothing like marriage. Ask your mother and father and they'll agree. He'll have toys, baby clothes. He'll know he's come to the right house." - Desi Arnaz, "We're Having a Baby" _

"So, you're sure this isn't a problem?" Evie asked her husband as she changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Absolutely not," John answered from the floor where Aiden sat in his lap sucking on a stuffed animal. "I never get to spend any time with him; this will be fun."

Evie smiled as she watched the two of them. "Alright, now I just fed him and changed him," she told John. "So he should be fine. Just remember to give him a bath before you put him to sleep."

John grinned. "You like bath time, buddy?" he asked the wee one. Aiden looked up at him and continued sucking on the nose of the stuffed dog. A few seconds later, however, he lost interest in the dog and crawled off John's lap in search of something else. When he reached Evie's bed, he latched his fingers onto the comforter and pulled himself into a standing posittion. John smiled as he watched his son toddle along with the aid of the thick blanket. "Hey, Evie, look at him go!"

Evie looked up from putting her shoes on and nodded. "Yeah, he does that all the time now."

"You're growing up fast, huh?" John addressed the little boy. Aiden turned to look at John and reached a hand out to him, taking a few steps. Then he slowly let go of the comforter completely, pausing to balance himself. "Evie…" Aiden shuffled one foot forward, then followed with his other. "Evie!"

"What?" She looked up and her eyebrows rose when she saw her baby boy attempting to walk towards her husband.

Aiden took another step, but fell forward, catching himself with his hands. Grunting softly, he pushed himself back up, wobbling slightly before regaining his balance. A few more slow, unsure steps and he had almost reached Sheppard. "C'mon, Aiden, you're doing good," John encouraged as he held his arms out. Three more steps and Aiden grasped his father's hands. John pulled Aiden into his arms and hugged him. "That's my big boy!" Aiden then began giggling as John tossed him up into the air a few times.

"Maah baa eeee!" he cried and then giggled some more. When John set Aiden down, the boy crawled off to retrieve his train book from under Evie's nightstand. Crawling underneath the small table, he grabbed the book, and then attempted to stand up, bonking his head on the underside of the table. He made a shocked face, as if unsure whether or not he should cry. Apparently he had hit his head pretty hard, as he decided to cry.

John moved over to where his son sat, sobbing, and scooped him up into his arms. "You're okay," he murmured, gently rubbing the boy's head as he rocked him. Evie had to smile as she watched John console their baby. He really was great with Aiden. "It's okay," he said and gently kissed Aiden's forehead. Then he grabbed the forgotten dog and wiggled it in front of Aiden. "Hey! Hey, look what I got." He made the dog do a little dance and Aiden's sobs slowly quieted as he watched the stuffed animal. After a moment, he let go of John and grabbed the dog, bringing it's plastic nose back into his mouth.

Evie smiled approvingly. "Alright, you two have fun," she said, standing up. "I'm off to keep poor Summer company. I know how bedrest goes."

John caught her arm as she attempted to walk past him. "You can't leave without giving me a kiss goodbye," he pouted. Evie smiled and placed a hand over Aiden's eyes before kissing her husband.

XXXXXX

"Ha!" Laura cried as she flashed her cards. "Full house. I win!" She dragged the heap of pennies from the middle of the bed over to her own pile. As the ladies were playing poker with two very pregnant women, they had opted to sit around the bed rather than a table. Barely a month after marrying Carson, Laura had announced her baby news, causing more than a few people to wonder about its date of conception. Whether or not Laura had been with child before the wedding made little difference, though; Carson and Laura loved each other truly, madly, deeply, and would have gotten married regardless.

"You sure you're not cheating, Laura?" Mary asked, eyeing the other woman suspiciously.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Laura said innocently.

"Well, you _do_ seem to win a lot," Summer pointed out.

"Hey, Evie's dealing," Laura said, holding her hands up. "It's her fault if your hand is crappy."

"Hey, now…" Evie said, reshuffling the deck.

"I do _not_ understand this game," Miko pouted.

* * *

John toweled off the squirming baby and then turned to find a clean diaper. When he turned back around, Aiden was attempting to crawl away. "Come back here," he chuckled, scooping up the boy and replacing him on the towel. He stuck the diaper underneath his son and moved to reach for the baby powder. Aiden took this opportunity to roll off the diaper. John sighed and grabbed the child and placed him once more upon the diaper. But Aiden didn't want to hold still and began trying to get away again. "Would you _hold still_ and let me change you?" John cried, pinning Aiden to the floor. "Doodlebug…"

John finally managed to get a clean diaper and a onesie on the little wiggle worm, and then let Aiden crawl off. "Da babba!" the child announced as he found a shoe under Evie's bed.

"Alright, you," John said, picking up the boy and cradling him in his arms. "Bedtime."

"Ahhh ba noo."

XXXXXX

Three hours, twenty rounds, and heaven knew how many pennies later, Evie returned to her quarters. Knowing that there was a good chance that Aiden was sleeping, she dropped her voice to a whisper as she entered. "John? John, where ar-- Aww…" John was asleep in the rocking chair, Aiden held securely in his arms. "John?" she called a little bit louder, gently rubbing his arm.

John blinked sleepily. "You're back."

"Very observant," she teased. "Why didn't you put him in the crib?" she asked, gesturing to the baby, who was sleeping very soundly.

"I tried five thousand times to put him in there," John replied, sounding somewhat offended. "He wouldn't stop crying. After twenty-five minutes of trying _everything_, I finally got him to quiet down by rocking him. When he fell asleep, I didn't want to wake him up again, so I didn't move."

Evie smiled. "Thanks." She kissed him, then gently took Aiden from his arms and tenderly placed him in his crib. He sighed and shifted a few times, but thankfully remained asleep.

John stood up and stretched. "You know," he said with a yawn, "I don't have to be anywhere…"

"What a coincidence," Evie said with a grin. "Me either."

Taking her hands in his, he moved to perch on the edge of the bed. Slipping her fingers inbetween his, she straddled his lap as they embraced. She released his hands only a moment later, however, as she pushed him back onto the bed, her lips trailing down his neck. It didn't take long for her to dote attention upon the sensitive area under his chin that had him panting within seconds.

His pleasure was curtailed however, when Aiden began to cry. "No, no, no," John whined. "You're supposed to be asleep!"

Evie groaned. "I'll get him." She kissed him teasingly. "You wait right here." A few more kisses. "I'll--mm--be right back." Three more before she finally pulled away. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she told the fussing infant. Picking him up out of his crib, she noticed that he had the hiccups. "Is that what's wrong? You've got the hiccups, poor baby?" she said soothingly.

Aiden continued to cry, not liking the painful jolts. Evie gently patted his back for a few minutes until the hiccups went away, then for several minutes more until Aiden fell back asleep. "That's better," she whispered as she kissed his cheek, then returned him to his crib, lightly draping the blanket over him.

"Now," she murmured, "where were we?" She turned around, then stopped. Poor, exhausted John had curled up on the bed and fallen asleep. "Aww, the poor dear," Evie whispered. Approaching the bed, she pulled the covers up over him as she had done with her son. "Sweet dreams," she said softly and kissed his forehead.

Suddenly, there was a pounding on her door. "If that baby wakes up, I'll kill you," she hissed as she ran across the room and opened the door.

Michael was standing there, looking white as a sheet. "Oh, my gosh, Evie!" he said, grabbing her arm. "Summer's having the baby!" he said, gesturing to his wife who was leaning against the wall, breathing deeply. "What do I do?!"

"What are you doing _here_?" Evie cried. "Get her to Carson, you dolt!"

Michael nodded worriedly and gently took Summer's hand. Evie started to follow them down to the infirmary, then stopped. "Go!" she said. "I'll be right behind you." She rushed back inside her quarters and scribbled a note of explanation to John, leaving it on her bedside table. Then she ran down the hall after Michael.

Evie reached the infirmary just as Carson was calling for Nurse Emma. "Carson!" Michael said as the doctor turned his attention to Summer. "My wife's having a baby!" he announced with a nervous smile.

"Aye, son, I can see that," Carson replied annoyedly as he helped Summer hobble into one of the private rooms off the infirmary.

"Oh, my gosh… oh, my gosh," Michael whimpered, too terrified to enter the room. He turned to Evie. "Evie, wh-what if something goes wrong? What if something happens to Summer? What if something happens to the baby? Evie! I can't d--"

Evie smacked him upside the head and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt. "Michael!" The head-slap seemed to have gotten his attention. "Summer needs you right now, okay? Now you're going to go in there and hold her hand, and no matter how much she screams at you, no matter what she says, you're gonna stay right by her side, you understand?"

Michael just stood there, about to hyperventilate.

"Michael!"

"Yes! I'll stay with her!" he said nodding furiously.

"Good, now get in there!" Evie ordered, turning him around and shoving him into the room.

"Sorry, ma'am, you'll have to wait outside," Nurse Emma said apologetically as she shut the door.

Evie took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. She went to sit down in one of the chairs just as Elizabeth got there, Radek hot on her heels. Elizabeth and Summer were fairly close, and Michael had earlier begged Radek to be his moral support. So the threesome sat down and waited. And waited. And waited…

XXXXXX

Elizabeth, Radek, and Evie were awoken by the sound of a very loud whoop. Opening her eyes, Elizabeth realized that her head was resting on Radek's shoulder. Funny, she didn't remember falling asleep that way. Blushing slightly, she focused her attention on the source of the noise. Michael burst through the door and started jumping up and down. "Oh, my gosh!" he cried ecstatically. "It's a boy! It's a boy! It's a boy!" Before any congratulations could be made, poor Michael fainted dead away.

"Michael?" Radek called worriedly.

Evie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Let's get him in a chair," she said, bending down to lift one of his arms over her shoulder.

Zelenka helped ease his colleague into one of the chairs. "Congratulations, _tatínek_," he said with a smile.

XXXXXX

Fortunately(for everyone involved), the birth of Rachel Anne Beckett two months later was far less eventful than that of Aaron Michael Murphy. Both babies were blessedly healthy and both babies had their fathers' eyes: Rachel, crystal blue and Aaron, emerald green. Aaron was born with a full head of dark hair, while Rachel only had "peach fuzz"(but it was likely she would have light hair like her mother). Michael noted Aaron's slightly crooked nose and pointed out that Cameron would have been very fitting; Summer shook her head and said that Aaron was perfect just the way he was, crooked nose and all. Michael agreed.

* * *

"_tatínek_" means "daddy." 


	4. Surprise, Surprise!

**Two Years Old - June 2008**

"_The more I seek you, the more I find you. The more I find you, the more I love you. I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand, lay back against you and breathe, feel your heartbeat. This love is so deep. It's more than I can stand. I melt in your peace. It's overwhelming." - CFNI, "The More I Seek You" _

Evie sighed contentedly as she lay snuggled up against her husband. She almost loved the cuddling afterwards as much the love-making itself. _Almost. _She suddenly remembered what she had originally come to his quarters to talk to him about. "Hey, John," she murmured, lightly brushing her fingers against the short hairs on the back of his neck and grinning when he gave a small shudder.

"Mm?" he grunted from where his head was nestled in the crook of her neck.

"You ever…think about having another one?" she asked quietly.

"Another what?" he crooned, placing tender kisses on her neck.

"Another baby." John lifted his head from her neck and raised an eyebrow. "What?" Evie asked after a pause.

John propped his head up on his hand and slid his other one down her side to rest on her waist, sending a small shiver of pleasure down Evie's spine. "Well… It's not that I don't want another kid," he said, phrasing himself carefully. "It's just that I don't see how we can explain away a second one." His middle finger began absently rubbing the curve of her hip.

"Yeah…" Evie looked down.

'_Uh-oh.'_ He knew that look. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, although he was fairly certain he already knew the answer. When she made no reply, he placed a hand under her chin and gently tilted her head to look at him. "Evie?" he prodded.

"John…'m six weeks late," she mumbled.

He had thought as much. "But you haven't gotten a test yet?" he asked. She shook her head. When he sighed, Evie dropped her gaze again. "Hey," he said in a gentler tone, and began stroking her cheek. "If you're pregnant, that's great. Really. I don't know what we'll tell people, but we'll think of something."

"You mean it?" she asked, leaning into his touch.

John nodded with a smile, then tilted her head up for an intimate kiss.

XXXXXX

Elizabeth smiled at the toddler in front of her and listened attentively to the story he was telling her. She had agreed to watch him for a few hours. Aiden suddenly laughed, having finished his tale. Elizabeth chuckled; she'd only understood about half of the gibberish that had come from his mouth, but the child's laughter was infectious. Not to mention the adorable way his eyes squinted into little crescent shapes when he giggled.

"That's fascinating, Aiden," she said with a smile, and the boy nodded. When he said nothing further and just looked at her, Elizabeth said, "I'm going to work on my computer for a little bit, okay?" and turned to face her laptop.

"D'you hab a penis?" Aiden asked suddenly.

Elizabeth's eyebrows shot up and she turned to face him. "I'm _sorry?_" Surely she had heard wrong. But Aiden repeated the question and confirmed that she had indeed heard correctly. "No, sweetie, I don't," she said, trying to suppress her amused smile; she didn't want to encourage him.

"Oh." Aiden blinked at her for a minute, then lost interest and returned to playing with his cars.

Only a few minutes later, John entered Elizabeth's office, ice cream bar in hand. "Afternoon, John," she welcomed cheerily.

John nodded his head at her in greeting. "Ah, so I see _you_ got stuck with the boy. How's he been?"

"He's been great. Played with his cars for the most part. Oh! And the little stinker asked me--" She mouthed the question to John, not wanting to get Aiden going again.

John raised an eyebrow as he bit back a laugh. "Did he now?" Elizabeth nodded and gave him a questioning look. "I didn't teach him that, I swear," he said quickly.

Elizabeth laughed. "Just making sure."

John shook his head and took a bite of his frosty treat.

When Aiden heard Sheppard munching on something behind him, he turned around. "What you got?" he asked inquisitively.

"Ice cream bar," John answered, offering it to his son. "You want a bite?"

Little Aiden shook his head quickly. "Nooo, I nee' mah _own_."

John laughed. "Alright, let's go get you one," he said, taking his son's small hand in his. "That is, if it's alright with the babysitter," he said, smirking as he said the name.

Elizabeth gave him a wry smile. "Just don't tell his mother it's my fault when he's not hungry for dinner," she said with a sigh.

John grinned and led Aiden to the mess hall.

XXXXXX

The door to the McKays' quarter's whooshed open and Kate Heightmeyer stepped inside. She saw Mary sitting on the bed, holding something in her closed fist. Joining her sister on the mattress, she asked, "You needed to see me about something?"

"Kate…I think I did a bad thing," Mary admitted quietly.

Kate sighed. "What did you do now?"

Ashamedly hanging her head, Mary opened her fist, revealing a handful of tiny pink pills.

After eyeing the contraceptive medication suspiciously, Kate returned her gaze to her sister. "Does this mean you're making me an aunt?" Mary nodded with a smile. "And does Rodney know about this?" Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…" Mary began absently pouring the pills from one hand to the other. "He was there…"

Kate laughed. "You have to tell him, Mary," she said gently. "He's bound to find out sooner or later." She smirked, then added, "Though considering it's Rodney, it will probably be later rather than sooner."

"Hey now," Mary said defensively, though her lips were twitching into a small smile. Then she frowned. "I'm worried that he won't want it though," she conceded, biting her lip. "You know how he doesn't really like kids…"

"He'll probably feel differently if it's his own," Kate said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"You really think so?"

Kate nodded with a smile. "Just break it to him gently," she advised.

"Like over a relaxing dinner?" Mary suggested.

"There you go." Kate nodded.

"Thanks, Kate." Mary hugged her older sister.

"Hey, that's what sisters are for."

XXXXXX

Later that evening, Mary surprised her husband with a delightful candlelit dinner in their quarters. Wanting to make sure he was in a good mood, she had selected lasagna, Rodney's favorite food. As he slowly finished off his second piece of cheesecake, he complimented his wife on a job well done. "This was really great, Mary," he said, licking the last morsel of dessert off his fork.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile.

"But it's got me wondering what the occasion is," he said, reaching for his wine glass.

'_Deep breaths, girl, deep breaths,'_ she told herself. "Well, it's been a while since we've had dinner together, just the two of us." Rodney nodded. "Plus, it will be nearly impossible to do this with a baby around." She held her breath, waiting for his response.

"Mmm." Rodney nodded again. "I suppose it would be diffi--" His eyes widened. "What? Baby?!"

"Yes, dear, that's what I said," Mary answered nervously. "Now, just calm down."

Rodney did no such thing. He shot out of his chair and began gesticulating wildly. "Pregnant! B-but… Me a fa-father? I-I thought you…pills a-and-- Baby!" Responding to the shock in true Rodney McKay fashion, his knees buckled underneath him and he collapsed onto the floor.

Mary gasped. "Rodney? Rodney?"

XXXXXX

"Rodney!" Evie called, walking quickly into his lab. "Have you seen Colonel Sheppard? And congratulations, by the way." She smiled.

"News travels fast," he replied, much more at ease with the news than he had been a week ago. Then he pointed to where Sheppard was standing on the far side of the room, looking at something on a computer screen. Seeing that Rodney and John were the only two in the room, Evie dropped her guard.

Having heard her voice, John looked up just in time to catch Evie as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms about his neck. "Oof!" Before he could say anything more, Evie proceeded to smother him with kisses, which John eagerly returned. Rodney just rolled his eyes and returned to working. When John pulled away a moment later, he panted, "I take it you tested positive?" Evie bobbed her head up and down with a grin. "That's awesome, Evie!" he congratulated, then threaded his hands through her hair as he pulled her in for a plundering kiss.

Rodney sighed, Evie's muffled whimpers and John's answering groans greatly irritating him. "Are you two done?" he asked, crossing his arms. He was satisfied when John put Evie down. That is, until Evie began yanking off John's jacket. "Whoa, whoa!" Rodney cried, holding up his hands. "What are you doing?"

"We're…commandeering your lab for about, uhh, fifteen minutes," John said, kicking off his shoes and reaching for Evie's belt.

"B-but, the computers!" Rodney protested. "Last time you guy--"

"Out!"

XXXXXX

"Well, if it isn't my favorite little boy!" Johnson smiled as Evie walked over to where he was sitting in the mess hall, Aiden by her side.

"Unca Dosh!" Aiden cried, letting go of his mother's hand and running over to the smiling Marine.

Johnson picked the boy up and set him on his lap. The major had "adopted" Aiden as his surrogate grandson. "How are you today, buddy?" he asked as Evie set down her tray and sat in the chair opposite him.

"I good!"

"Are you and your mommy going to eat pancakes with me?"

Aiden made a face. "I don' wike dem. I wike fwoot woops!"

Johnson nodded with a chuckle and placed the boy in the chair beside him. "I'm sure you do."

Aiden had only been eating his Fruit Loops for five minutes when he saw Summer, Michael, and baby Aaron. "I go see baby Awon!" he announced, hopping down from his chair and running across the mess hall.

Johnson and Evie chuckled as they watched his toddler-run. "I can see a lot of his father in him," Johnson commented with a smile.

"Oh, Rodney?" Evie asked. "Yeah, so can I."

"No," he answered, shaking his head slowly. "Not Rodney."

Growing worried, she tried her best to look confused. "Wh-what are you talking about, sir?"

"Lieutenant--" He sighed. "Evie… You don't think I know you better than that? You would _never_ sleep with Rodney," he said, lowering his voice.

She glanced nervously at the ground, not saying anything.

"Colonel Sheppard works with our team every chance he gets," Johnson observed. Evie began to fidget with her hands, still not looking at him. "Now, I may not be the best at deductive reasoning, but Summer and Michael are married and unless Sheppard has a thing for _me_, it's you he wants to spend time with."

This last comment got half a smile from Evie.

After a pause, Johnson asked, "Does he make you happy?"

Evie finally met his gaze and nodded.

Johnson smiled. "Good. Then I suppose I will keep this knowledge to myself."

Evie gave him a grateful smile in return, then got out of her chair, went around to the other side of the table, and hugged him.

* * *

A/N: I must apologize if Aiden's question to Elizabeth seemed a little odd, but the real life little boy that I am taking "toddlerisms" from asks me that question A LOT and it cracks me up every time. ;) 


	5. Baby Blues

A/N: Special thanks to Commodore Norrington for the wonderful Rodney scenes in this chapter.

* * *

**Two Years Old - July 2008**

_"You just want to feel loved instead of all the pain. You no longer have to say, 'No one's listening anyway.' Come here and cry on my shoulder. I'll hold you 'til it's over. I'll rescue you tonight. Let my arms be your shelter, your hiding place forever. I love you more than life." - Overflow, "Cry on my Shoulder" _

"Okay, buddy," Michael addressed his small son, "which one do you want first? Squash or bananas?" He held two jars of baby food in front of the infant seated in the highchair. Aaron just blinked at the jars for a moment, then started smacking the spoon in his hand against the tray. "Alrighty then," Michael said, setting one jar down and unscrewing the lid of the other one. "Squash it is."

"Maaaah!" Bang, bang, bang.

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying," Michael said. "Can I have that please?" he asked, gently prying the spoon from his son's tiny fist. "Thank you." Baby Aaron opened his mouth expectantly and made an exasperated noise when Michael apparently took too long. "Here!"

Aaron's lips closed around the spoonful of yellow mush and he made a face when it hit his tongue. "Bleh!" he complained, but nevertheless opened his mouth for more. Michael chuckled and continued to feed his son.

Summer, balancing two trays of food, joined her husband at the table about the same time as Sheppard entered the mess hall. Spotting the couple and baby, John walked over to where they were sitting. "Have either of you seen Lieutenant Brooks?" he asked.

"She's in her room," Summer answered quietly, the smile she had been giving her son suddenly fading.

"Something wrong?" John inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Summer looked over at Michael then back to Sheppard. "I'll let her tell you, sir," she answered after a pause.

Beginning to grow worried, John slowly nodded. "Right. Well then, if you three will excuse me." He quickly departed for Evie's quarters. When he arrived, he knocked quietly on the door and called, "Evie?"

He heard a quiet "Come in," and warily stepped inside. He saw his wife slowly getting up from the bed. Her eyes were red and puffy and she was obviously distraught. "What's wrong, beautiful?" he murmured, quickly pulling her into his arms. She refused to meet his gaze at first, and a few fresh tears began trickling down her cheeks. "Talk to me, Evie," he said softly, gently cupping her face and forcing her to look at him.

"John…" she began, her throat constricting. She swallowed and tried again, her voice barely above a whisper. "John, I lost the baby."

Her words slashed at his emotions; confusion, anguish, and bitterness spilling out all at once. "Oh, Evie…" Speechless, he merely drew her head to rest against his chest as she started sobbing. Evie buried her head in his shoulder and clung to him tightly.

After his gently stroking her head for several minutes, Evie's sobs subsided somewhat. Taking a deep breath, John was able to manage, past the growing lump in his own throat, "I'm so sorry, Evie…" He gently kissed her forehead. "Is…is there anything I can--"

"Just hold me," she whispered. John nodded, but then released her. Evie looked up at him confusedly, through tear-filled eyes. With a half-smile, he took her hands and led her over to the rocking chair that they used for baby Aiden. Sitting down, he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her and getting the chair moving slowly with his foot.

Curling her legs up and pressing her body against his, she said in a hoarse whisper, "I guess I can't do anything right, can I?"

"Evie, this isn't your fault," he consoled firmly but gently, despite the fact that his voice threatened to break. "Don't you dare blame yourself." He lightly kissed her cheek and continued to rock her.

"I know, I know," she said dejectedly. "It's just…it just feels that way…"

"And I still love you," he quietly affirmed, gently brushing his lips against hers.

She immediately intensified his simple kiss, desperate for another level of comfort from him. But John wasn't into it, and started to pull away. Evie released him instantly and looked down. There was an awkward silence for a few moments. "Sorry…" she whispered. "I just…" she trailed off, not knowing what she had started off to say. Then she hid her face in his chest once more. Lightly kissing her forehead, John continued to rock her until she had fallen asleep in his arms.

XXXXXX

**September 2008**

"Rodney, I really think you ought to sit down for this," Carson pleaded, not for the first time. He had thought Sheppard was a challenge as an expecting father, but the colonel had been nothing compared to McKay.

"I don't want to sit down, Carson!" Rodney insisted, pacing nervously. "Just tell us, and quickly. We can take it." Carson was sure Mary could take it; she sat calmly watching her husband, a faint smile twitching at her lips. Well, _he_ didn't think it was that funny.

"All right," Carson sighed. "But if you fai-- sorry, pass out -- don't say I didn't warn you."

"Is it that bad?" Rodney asked, somewhat pleadingly, his eyes flitting this way and that as he searched for an answer in Carson's expression.

"It's not bad at all, Rodney!" Carson burst out exasperatedly. "Your blessed wife is having twins, that's all!"

Mary smiled beatifically, as only an expecting woman could, at the news. Rodney was having slightly more difficulty.

"T-twins?" Rodney blinked rapidly. "As in…two of them?"

"Aye, Rodney, two of them. Two baby _girls_." Carson shook his head. For such a brilliant astrophysicist, the man could be awfully daft sometimes.

"I think I…should've sat down," Rodney mumbled, before his knees gave way and he crumpled to the floor yet again. Mary started to rise, concerned, but Carson motioned her back into her seat. The last thing he needed was both McKays passed out on the infirmary floor. Rodney he was used to dealing with.

"Well, I'm not one to say I told you so," he muttered as he hoisted McKay into a nearby bed with the help of a nurse, "but I did."

XXXXXX

"Oh, babe!" Summer said as she got dressed for bed, having finally gotten Aaron to sleep. "You'll never guess who's expecting!"

Michael came out of the bathroom and yawned. "Besides Rodney and Mary?"

"Besides them."

"Carson and Laura?"

"No."

"Radek and…Miko!"

She gave him a disturbed look and crawled into their bed.

"Surely not Evie and John again?" he asked, lying down next to her.

Summer looked down sadly and shook her head.

"Don't tell me Teyla and Ronon finally got it on?" he said with a grin.

Summer laughed. "No, not them…"

Michael sighed. "I give up."

She grinned, pointing at him and then at herself.

"You want me to…do something for you?" he asked, looking confused.

Summer rolled her eyes. "Michael! I'm pregnant!"

Michael's eyes lit up. "Again? Really?!"

She kissed him in response and Michael kissed her back deeply. When Summer felt his hand slide down her body and begin tugging down her pajama pants, she murmured, "Babe, what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" he asked with a grin. "This _blessed event_ calls for celebrating."

"But I just put Aaron down and I don't want you to wake him up," she cautioned.

"We can be clandestine," he promised, gently kissing her neck.

"Fine," she said with a smile. "But if you wake that boy, you're rocking him back to sleep."

"Deal."

XXXXXX

"Why don't I pick names for one, and you for the other?" Mary suggested, thumbing through a baby names book that Laura had loaned her. "And we'll run them by each other for final approval."

"Twins," Rodney mumbled, holding his head. He still hadn't quite gotten used to the idea.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, yes," Rodney nodded, a faraway look remaining in his eyes.

"Did you hear a word I just said?"

"Of course," he insisted indignantly. "You…pick dinner tonight, and I pick tomorrow."

Mary couldn't help but laugh at that. Rodney was good at making her laugh even when she meant to be mad at him, though she was pretty sure that it was usually by accident.

"How does Rosalind sound?" Mary tried.

"Is that a kind of salad?" Rodney asked, still stuck on his dinner track.

"Um, no, it's a potential name for one of our daughters," she corrected.

"Oh," he blinked. There was a short pause. "What's it mean?"

"'Soft horse,'" she read, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, so maybe not."

"Deanna," Rodney suggested.

"As in Troi, Rodney?" Mary gave him a look.

He shrugged. "It's a nice name. What, you'd prefer Jadzia?"

"How about we just steer clear of Trek?"

"Fine, fine," Rodney conceded. A brief pause, then a quick snap of his fingers. "Andromeda."

"A ship? Might as well name her Serenity." At his thoughtful look, she quickly shot that idea down with a firm, "No."

"Mary, we are _scientists_ on a _scientific_ expedition to another _planet_," Rodney pointed out. "I think our daughter is entitled to a name from the grand tradition of science-fiction literature we've been raised with. It's no different than naming her after some great Shakespearean heroine. What?" Mary's lips were twitching again.

"First of all, we're having _two_ daughters," she reminded him gently. He paled slightly, like he did every time someone mentioned the twins. "Second, hearing the words 'grand tradition of science-fiction literature' out of the mouth of Rodney McKay is just…amusing, that's all. And I'm perfectly willing to use a name from sci-fi, if you can give me a good, solid one." She thought she heard him mutter, "What's more solid than a spaceship?" but let it pass.

"Okay, fine," he agreed, and she knew he would not stop thinking about it until he struck on an answer. Meanwhile, she consulted "The Mother of All Baby Name Books" for options. Meaning was very important to her, but she wanted nice-sounding names, too; it was amazing how difficult it was to find both qualities in a name. _Aubrey_ was a very nice name, she thought, but 'elf power' just wasn't what she was going for. 'Beautiful' would be great, but did she really want to name her daughter _Bahiyya_? She agonized for a few minutes as she flipped through the book, before discovering _Dakota_ at the beginning of the Ds.

"Dakota," she murmured, liking the sound of it.

At the same time, Rodney exploded with an excited, almost hysterical, "Rose!" Mary flinched. "Sorry," he apologized, unable to repress his huge grin. "Rose," he repeated, a little more softly.

"Rose," Mary tried. "Traditional, pretty, implies beauty...I like it. What's it from?"

"The new _Doctor Who_," he explained. He looked almost offended at her blank look. "You never watched _Doctor Who_? It's classic! They picked it back up a few years ago; I talked Carson into getting me the DVDs. Surprisingly good, not that they could ever improve on the original. I was never sure who I liked better, Pertwee or Baker--"

"Rodney," Mary interrupted, unperturbed. She had long ago become used to Rodney's ramblings. "I like it. What do you think of Dakota?"

He looked slightly puzzled. "I've never been, though we were supposed to go see Mt. Rushmore one summer…"

"Not the state, you goof," she chuckled. "The name."

"That's a girl's name?"

"Yes!"

"Oh. Well, it's nice," he shrugged. "What's it mean?"

"'Friend,'" Mary explained.

He considered it. "It's nice," he repeated, nodding slowly.

"I don't think it goes with Rose, though," Mary commented. "So that's one for each; two to go."

Rodney pondered while Mary continued her journey through the book. Every so often, one would suggest a name and they would consider it, with varying levels of intensity, before discarding it and moving on.

"Ellen?" Mary, going alphabetically.

"Too plain. Ursula?"

"You realize most people will think _Little Mermaid_ rather than LeGuin, right?"

"Hm, you may have a point there."

"Farley?"

"Farley?!" Rodney sputtered.

"I love Farley Mowat. And he's Canadian."

"Yes, _he_ is Canadian. I am not naming my daughter Farley. It sounds like…like…an overweight redneck! Or his dog," Rodney added sourly.

"Well, that's a bit harsh," Mary chided gently. "But I see your point."

"Samantha," Rodney mused.

"That is a pretty name," Mary acknowledged, "and the book says it means 'listener.' But I'm not sure I want her named after a former crush of yours," she noted with a teasing grin. Rodney shrugged sheepishly, or, at least, as sheepishly as Rodney could. Mary flipped a few pages back from _Samantha_. "Ramsi?"

"Like the pharaoh?" Rodney shot back, slightly sore about _Samantha_.

"That's _Ramses_, dear," Mary returned, over-sweetly, in the tone that she used when she was annoyed but determined not to let it show. Now paging randomly through the book, she found herself at the Cs. "Caitlyn," she commented aloud. "'Pure beauty.'"

Rodney opened his mouth to object, then closed it. "I like that," he said simply. "Especially the 'pure' part." Mary laughed. Poor Caitlyn would hate her father when she reached her teen years.

"So, Dakota Caitlyn? Caitlyn Dakota? Rose Caitlyn? Or Caitlyn Rose?" she asked.

"Caitlyn Rose," Rodney tried, turning the name over in his mouth and his mind. "Yes. Caitlyn Rose."

"All right, then," Mary smiled satisfiedly, "all we need is a name to go with Dakota. Your turn."

Rodney got a strange glint in his eye. "Ziggy."

"Rodney," Mary groaned. "I gave you Rose; can we lay off the sci-fi, now?"

"Fine, then, you come up with something."

"Um, Yolanda," Mary suggested.

"No."

Pages turning. "April?"

A curious twitch of the lips on Rodney's part. "Maybe."

"Not sure I like that look, Rodney," Mary teased. "Rahab?"

"Wasn't she a prostitute?"

"It's debatable."

"Well, no, in any case."

"I'm running out of ideas, here, Rodney!" Mary sighed. "We might as well name her Blasnefaria!"

Rodney blinked. "Is that some kind of plant?"

Mary couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. She was tired, the naming process was getting tedious, and Rodney was so serious as he asked…tears were streaming down her face, she was laughing so hard. Rodney watched her, perplexed but not displeased, glad that his wife seemed so happy even if he had no idea why.

Finally, Mary got a hold on herself and wiped her eyes. "Seriously, Rodney, what are we going to name this girl?"

"What about Tamber?" Rodney suggested, wondering where that had come from.

Mary considered it, weighing it on her tongue, running it through her mind. "I like it. What does it mean?"

"I'm not, uh, sure," Rodney answered, eyebrows coming together. "I took piano lessons with a little girl named Tamber."

"Oh," Mary commented, finding the name in the book. "'Music pitch.' Well, that's appropriate, I suppose."

"Hm, yes," Rodney agreed.

"Dakota Tamber? Or Tamber Dakota?"

"Dakota Tamber," Rodney decided.

"I like it," Mary repeated, grinning. Dakota Tamber and Caitlyn Rose they were, then. Friend-music-pitch and pure-beauty-rose. Good, strong, beautiful names. They had named their baby girls.


	6. Mine!

A/N: I don't know if I shall be able to post during Thanksgiving vacation, as I will be in Colorado. I'll post if I can; if I can't, I'll double-post when I get home. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

* * *

**Two Years Old - February 2009**

_"Make no mistake, she's mine, she's mine. She only knows how I feel. I only know what she's like when she needs me. Oh, how she needs me deep in the night. Make no mistake, she's mine, she's mine, no, she's mine. Don't get too close when you dance 'cause I don't wanna hear from my friends you were out on the town with her in your arms, with her in your arms, her in your arms." - Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers, "Make no Mistake, She's Mine" _

After the miscarriage, Evie immediately began searching for an outlet for her emotions. Beating another person with sticks sounded like a good way to release her anger and bitterness, but she didn't really want to hang out with Teyla for an hour every day and John said he didn't have time to give her lessons. So, upon overhearing Ronon complain that he had no one who wanted to swordfight with him, Evie asked if he would teach her. Ronon agreed.

At first, it wasn't so much swordfighting as it was Evie getting her butt kicked by Ronon's skills, but after several months Evie was able to give him a run for his money. She never beat him, but it was taking him longer to beat _her_ and she was proud of that. She still went to Carson on occasions to get a cut fixed up, but most of the time Ronon was right there beside her, with a cut or two of his own. As both were channeling their emotions into the fight, they were both very intense.

For the most part, John was a good sport about how much time Evie was spending with Ronon. However, he soon tired of comments like, "Man, Ronon looks hot when he fights!" and "Mmm, can you believe his muscles?" Their playful flirting, which had soon left the confines of the gym, grated on his nerves as well. While he knew that neither of them wanted each other in that sense-- Well, he knew Evie didn't want Ronon in that sense-- Okay, he _hoped_ Evie didn't want Ronon in that sense, and thus frequently felt strong twinges of jealously. The final straw was when John entered the gym one morning looking for Ronon. Just as he stepped through the doors, Ronon's sword clashed with Evie's. He then used his superior strength to quickly force her backwards until he had her pinned against the wall, their bodies nearly touching.

When Evie failed to suppress a smile, Ronon raised an eyebrow and asked in his low growl of a voice, "You like that, Lieutenant?" As he spoke, he took a step forward so that his body was pressed against hers.

Her sudden intake of breath made Sheppard stiffen. _He_ was the only one who could make her breath hitch like that.

Evie gave Ronon a coy smile. "Maybe…"

John was shocked at her apparent offer and nearly called her down by her first name. Catching himself, he cleared his throat. When they both turned to look at him, Evie didn't wince, didn't blush, didn't seem phased at all. "Ronon, we're, uhh… We're leaving in fifteen."

Ronon nodded, then looked back at Evie. "We'll finish this later."

"You can count on it," she murmured, parrying and freeing her sword from his with a metallic _zhing_!

Ronon gathered his things and turned to leave. John shot Evie a glare that she didn't understand and then quickly followed after Ronon, intent on hinting _heavily_ to the bigger man that the lieutenant was taken.

He followed Ronon into his quarters and spoke up as the Satedan put away his things and searched for his gun. "Hey, Ronon, Lieutenant Brooks… She's…" '_Mine!'_ "Well, she's not available, if you know what I mean."

"No?" He grabbed his gun and secured it around his waist.

"Well, she's…seeing someone," John answered after a slight pause.

"Who?"

'_Me!'_ "A guy."

Ronon cocked an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Look, just…keep it friendly, okay?" John's smile was contradicted by his icy glare.

"Whatever."

XXXXXX

Mary let out a scream of pain and nearly jumped when her husband screamed beside her.

"Why are _you_ screaming?" Carson asked in amusement, looking up at the father-to-be.

"It seemed…appropriate?" Rodney said, shrugging.

"Well, please try to control your _excitement_," Carson said. "When you make noise, I jump, and we can't have that."

"Well, can you… Can you speed it up or something? My nerves can't handle this…"

Mary groaned and cried, "Emma!"

Emma nodded and whacked the back of Rodney's head.

"Thank you," Rodney winced.

"Oh! Looks like you got your wish, Rodney," Carson said smiling. "I can see a head. Mary, you're doing beautifully."

Rodney snorted. "Not the word I would have picked…"

"Emma!"

Whack!

"C'mon, Mary, almost there," Carson said gently. "Push!" Mary cried out again as she did so. A moment later, Carson wrapped the squirming, red baby in a towel and placed it in Rodney's arms. "One more, Mary. Almost done!"

Rodney stared in awe at the tiny infant in his arms. This wasn't just a baby. This was his daughter. She was _his_.

A few minutes later, Mary gave a final shout of pain, and the second baby's crying joined the first's. Carson handed the second child to Emma, who began gently cleaning her, then Carson held his hands out for the baby in Rodney's arms. "Let me have her."

"No!" Rodney said, clutching her to his chest.

"I have to clean her up, Rodney," Carson said, smiling in amusement at Rodney's sudden attachment.

"And then you'll give her back?" Rodney asked, the first time he had ever referred to a baby by its proper gender.

"Yes, Rodney," Carson sighed.

"You _promise_?"

"Yes, Rodney!"

Rodney looked down at his daughter for a moment, then reluctantly handed her over to Carson. "Be careful with her!" he ordered protectively.

"Yes, Rodney…"

XXXXXX

"One…two…one…two…one…two…" Rodney mumbled to himself as he looked at the baby girls in his arms, his head bobbing back and forth. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that there were two of them, and that they were his. A sigh from the bed beside him interrupted his thoughts. He looked over and saw that Mary had woken up. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh, better, I suppose," she answered. "Can I hold one?"

"Which one? This one's Caitlyn and this one's Dakota," he said, nodding his head toward each infant respectively.

Mary smiled, noting the names on the blankets. "Yes, Rodney, very good. Either one."

Rodney oh-so-gently handed baby Dakota to his wife.

"I like them," he announced after a few minutes of silence.

Mary smiled at him adoringly; he had the cutest way of putting things.

XXXXXX

When Colonel Sheppard had approached Major Johnson and asked if he and his team would like to back them up on an upcoming mission, Johnson has just smiled and agreed. He had ignored the subtle flirting during the mission, and tried to ignore the looks exchanged during the debriefing. He knew how grand love was and was happy these two had found it, no matter now taboo it was.

After the debriefing ended, however, things didn't go so well, though Johnson wasn't around to witness it.

"Did you do something with your hair?" John asked Evie as they loitered outside the meeting room. "It looks…funny." He wasn't trying to be mean; he was merely curious.

Evie looked at him for a moment, then said, "_Kru harambe shalka_!"

"Oho!" Ronon grinned at her use of the Satedan insult. "She told _you_, Sheppard."

John raised an eyebrow at the two of them. "What does that mean?"

Evie and Ronon glanced at each other and shared a secretive smile. "Oh, nothing," Evie answered.

John nodded slowly and let the subject go, though he wasn't too happy about it. He turned to talk to Rodney and saw the scientist holding one of his new daughters. John was at a loss for where the baby had come from until he saw Mary standing a few feet away, holding the other twin and talking to Summer, who was almost pregnant enough to be taken off active duty. John smiled at the little girl in Rodney's arms. It seemed like McKay was always holding one of them, no matter what he was doing. And he said he didn't like kids… "Which one is that?" John asked.

"Mine," Rodney answered.

John laughed. "No, no, what's her name?"

"Umm…" Rodney looked at the baby for a minute then replied, "Well, she's either Catie or Koda."

John grinned. "You give 'em those nicknames yourself, Rodney I-hate-kids McKay?"

Rodney gave him a wry smile. "As a matter of fact I did, John I-wish-I-had-kids-this-cute Sheppard."

John opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when he smelled something. "No, I don't, because I think cutie-pie here just left you a smelly little present."

Rodney's eyes widened and he rushed the child over to his wife. "Maaary!"

John chuckled and turned to see where Evie was headed. He frowned when he saw her walking off with Ronon, both of them laughing.

"'_Kru harambe shalka_!' That was _great_, Evie!" he complimented, clapping her on the back.

"I thought it was fitting." She grinned. "Hey, I'm not doing anything for the rest of the day if you want to _tekmarinae_," she offered, suggesting that they swordfight.

"You're on," Ronon said.

'_And you're dead,'_ John thought to himself, jealousy seeping into every fiber of his being.

XXXXXX

It only took two hours for John to run into Ronon, so his jealousy and rage were still fresh. As there was no one else in the hallway, John unleashed his wrath upon the Satedan. "You _wife-stealing bastard_!" he cried furiously, taking a swing at the bigger man, who easily sidestepped him. "I told you to leave her alone!"

"You said keep it friendly!" Ronon protested.

John threw another punch, but Ronon caught John's fist, deftly twisting his arm behind his back and slamming him up against the wall. "Ow."

"Don't make me hurt you," Ronon growled.

"Go ahead. Make my day."

Ronon sighed and just barely increased his pressure on John's arm, succeeding in making the pilot cry out.

Ronon was about to speak when one of the SF's approached. "Sir," he addressed John. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I got everything under control…" John mumbled, his face and lips pressed against the wall. Ronon just grinned at the SF, who nodded slowly and continued on his way.

When the man was out of earshot, Ronon said quietly, "I get it; she's yours. If you claimed her, why didn't you just say so?"

'_Nice one, John… (Well, how'd he know?!) I think the 'wife-stealing' line might have tipped him off. Either that or your uncalled-for jealousy…'_ John tried to move so he could speak, but Ronon wasn't allowing for that. "Err…well, y'see…umm…it's not…I mean…"

John didn't have to say it. Ronon wasn't stupid. He released John's arm and with a mutter of "You Earth people…" resumed his trek to his quarters.

XXXXXX

**June 2009**

"Cwash!" Aiden cried, knocking down his mother's block tower.

"Aiden, that's not nice," Evie chided.

"I sowwy," he said, handing her a block.

A minute later, Evie had fashioned the blocks into castle. When Aiden saw that his mother was finished, he knocked it down with his hands again.

"No, Aiden," she said sternly. "That is _not_ nice! You wouldn't want _me_ to knock down _your_ blocks, would you?"

He didn't answer but continued playing.

Evie sighed and glanced over to see how baby Skylar was doing. Two days ago, Summer had given birth to Skylar Evangeline Murphy, a name which Evie particularly loved. Right now, dark-haired Skylar was sleeping peacefully on the bed, fenced in by pillows. Evie smiled at the baby, and then began rebuilding her castle. Before she could finish, however, Aiden sent the blocks toppling to the ground.

"Aiden, do you want a pop?" she asked warningly.

"No, pops yucky," Aiden answered, indicating that he didn't like spankings.

"If you do that one more time, you'll get a pop. Do you understand?"

Aiden frowned. "Yes, Mommy."

Evie sighed and looked at her watch. Lunchtime. She stood up and stretched, then found her shoes and put them on. She found Aiden's socks and shoes and called to him, "Aiden come here, please." When her son remained engaged with his blocks, she reminded him, "'Yes, Mommy, I'm coming.'"

"No," Aiden said, shaking his head. "'Yes, Mommy' yucky."

Evie tried her best not to laugh. She didn't want to encourage him, but the boy was downright creative. She tried again, this time a little more sternly. "Aiden?"

"Yes, Mommy, I coming!" he called and ran over to her, placing a hand on her arm.

"Good job!" she praised. First-time obedience was a battle with this child, so she made sure to congratulate him when he came. She picked him up and hugged him. "You're such a good boy! Have I told you today that I love you?" she asked with a smile.

Aiden grinned. "Yes, Mommy."

"Well, I'll say it again," she said, poking his little tummy and causing him to giggle. "I. Love. You!" He giggled loudly as she punctuated each word with another tickle.

"I wuv you, too, Mommy," he said, kissing her cheek.


	7. Home, Sweet Home?

A/N: Sorry about the lack of postingness. We had no internet access at the cabin, and when my cousin took my sister to go wardriving, they didn't invite me. :P Well, enjoy the double-post.**

* * *

**

**Three Years Old - 2009**

_"Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays, 'cause no matter how far away you roam, when you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze, for the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home. When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze, for the holidays you can't beat_ _home." - Barry Manilow, "Home for the_ _Holidays"_

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Evie muttered as she watched the familiar landmarks pass by.

"Oh, come on, Evie, they're your _parents_," John assured her. "And from what you've told me, I'm sure they won't disown you. Left or right?"

"Right at the Dairy Bar, left at the house that looks like the Alamo, and then keep on going until you reach the house with the big, blue mailbox. And the gnomes. My mother is obsessed with garden gnomes."

"Alrighty then," he said, turning the steering wheel in the indicated direction. "You know, I bet they'll be so excited to see their grandson, they won't even bother asking about his father."

Evie snorted. "You don't know my parents…"

"No, I don't," John said. "Which is why you wanted me to meet them, which is why I'm dropping you off."

"I know, I know," Evie said, shaking her head. "Just…promise me you won't run for the door if things turn sour."

"I promise." Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw that Aiden had fallen asleep, and so removed his hand from the steering wheel and slipped it into Evie's.

This helped calm Evie's nerves somewhat, and she began replaying in her mind just exactly how she'd talked herself(and John) into this…

"_You know what I think we're overdue for?" John asked Evie over dinner at his quarters. _

_"What?" Evie asked around a mouthful of spaghetti. _

_"A honeymoon," he grinned. _

_"Mm! Mm! Mm!" She began failing her hand up and down rapidly and attempting to quickly swallow the food in her mouth. _

_"Don't choke yourself," John said amusedly. _

_Finished, Evie exclaimed, "I **so** have the best idea!" _

_"Do tell," he said with immediate interest; he'd been longing to spend a few days alone with her for ages. _

_"Your team just finished setting up the Gate bridge back to Earth, right?" _

_"Yes…" _

_"So, let's go home!" _

_John looked at her quizzically for a moment. _

_"Please, John," Evie begged. "I'm sure I can get my parents to watch Aiden for a few days." When he began to look like he was seriously considering the idea, she added, "I'll even let you pick the place…" _

_"Mmm…" John grinned. "Five days alone with you…on a Mexican beach…" He growled. _

_"With Margaritas?" Evie teased. _

_"Oh, yes," he nodded. "Margaritas are a given. You simply have to try one." _

_She rolled her eyes. "So, you'll come?" _

_"I'll have to get permission," he said, standing up from the table and heading for the door. _

_"Wait, where are you going?" Evie called after him. _

_"To get permission!" he answered over his shoulder…_

"Wow…you weren't kidding when you said it looked like the Alamo," John commented as he turned onto the street where Evie had grown up. A moment later, he pulled the car to a stop in front of one of the houses at the end of the cul-de-sac.

"Well, what do you know?" Evie said, looking at the garden in front of her house. "I think the gnomes have begun breeding." She laughed, then took a deep breath. "Alright. A few rules before you meet them. Don't swear, don't make _any_ suggestive comments, especially not about me, and don't even mention wanting a beer; this is a _very_ dry county."

John smiled amusedly. "Anything else?"

"No, I think that's it." Looking up at the house again, Evie sighed nervously.

"Kiss for good luck?" John suggested with that teasing smile.

Evie glanced in the backseat; Aiden was still asleep. She turned back to John and nodded, kissing him deeply. "Okay," she said a minute later. "Let's do this."

It didn't take long after the two of them had closed the car doors for Evie's parents to rush out the front door. "Oh, my baby's home!" her mother called.

Evie grinned widely as soon as she saw her parents. "Will you get him?" she asked, referring to their sleeping child.

"Yeah, go ahead," John said, beginning to unfasten the various buckles on the borrowed carseat.

Evie nodded and began running up the path. She jumped into her father's arms, and he swung her around several times, hugging her tightly. "I missed you guys so much!" she murmured, kissing his cheek. When her father set her down, she embraced her mother. "Oh, it's so good to see y'all!" Suddenly she laughed. "I've only been back in Texas for two hours and I'm already saying 'y'all' again." Her parents laughed.

The cheerful greetings were interrupted, however, by a little voice crying, "Gwanpa!"

Evie's father looked down to see the little brown-haired boy running up the path. "And this little guy must be Aiden!" he said with a smile.

Evie grinned. "Yep. I've told him all about you guys."

Her father picked up the little tyke and smiled. "Just what all has your crazy mother told you about me, huh?" he asked.

"You be Gwanpa!" Aiden answered excitedly. "And dat's Gwanma!" he said, pointing to Evie's mother.

"Oh, Evie, he's beautiful," her mother complimented. "Hi there, Aiden," she said, waving.

"Mommy says you would cwap an' die if you evew found out she had a Mawga--"

"That's enough sugar for you, sweetie!" Evie announced, cutting him off. Her parents gave her suspicious looks and Evie just tried her best to smile sweetly.

Noticing for the first time the man standing a few feet away, Evie's father gave him a cursory glance. "I suppose you're his father?" he asked with just a hint of derision.

John hated lying to Evie's parents, but they had discussed this earlier; they had to keep their stories straight with _everyone_. "No, sir," he answered politely. "Just the driver."

"Huh…he sure looks like you," the man commented, eyeing John suspiciously. "Same smile, same…pointy ears…"

Evie bit her tongue to keep from giggling; she loved the fact that Aiden had inherited John's "Elf Lord" look. "Sir," she addressed her husband, "I'd like you to meet my father, Hector Brooks."

John fought with a snicker and barely managed to disguise it as a cough. He had known a "Hector" growing up; a short, stubby little boy with a high, squeaky voice. Evie's father was anything but that. He was tall, a little taller than John even, and whatever he did for a living kept him in good physical condition. John could see that Evie had her father's eyes. His dark hair, however, Evie hadn't gotten. "Pleasure to meet you, sir," John said, offering his hand.

Hector shook it, but still regarded the younger man with a little bit of suspicion.

"And my mother," Evie continued, "JoAnna." JoAnna was tall, but Sheppard still had at least six inches on her. She had beautiful blue eyes, and short brown hair that matched her daughter's. Evie prayed John wouldn't do something "charming", like kiss her mother's hand, and breathed a sigh of relief when he merely offered her a handshake as well. "Momma, Daddy, this is my commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard."

Still somewhat hurt by John's poorly disguised snicker, Hector came back with, "'Sheppard', eh? So you, what, herd sheep?"

"No, sir, I shoot bad guys," John returned with a smile.

"Ah."

"He taked his gun and go 'boom! boom!' and the bad guys wun away!" Aiden announced, clapping his hands.

"Something like that," John laughed, then he paused. Looking from JoAnna to Hector and then to Evie, he asked, "Why are you so _short_?"

"Oh, gee, thanks, sir," she said, rolling her eyes.

He just shrugged. "Well, on that note, I guess I'll go," John said. "Pleasure meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. Have fun, Lieutenant."

"Wait," JoAnna said. "Won't you at least stay for dinner?"

'_I love you so much, Momma…'_

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," John replied politely.

"No, not at all," JoAnna insisted. "I'm making plenty."

"Well, in that case, I suppose Mexico can wait. I haven't had a home-cooked meal in forever."

"Wonderful." JoAnna smiled. "Now, Evie, why don't you get your bags and we can get out of this heat?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Once inside the house, while Aiden and John played with cars on the floor, JoAnna and Hector pulled Evie into the kitchen. "Dear, why isn't Aiden's father here?"

Evie gulped. "Momma, we've been over this. There's no longer a relationship between me and him."

"Evangeline Marie," JoAnna began to scold. "I can't believe this."

"Mother, please." Evie looked out the window, not wanting to meet her mother's gaze.

"No, I mean after all that you said about waiting for your husband." JoAnna shook her head with a sigh. "How long were you…" She searched for a polite term. "_With_ this man?"

Evie studied the floor. Her mother was going to flip if she thought that her daughter had had a one-night stand. But she had to keep her story straight, she supposed. "Just once," she mumbled.

"Did he seduce you?" Hector asked protectively.

"No…" Evie said, staring at the carpet.

"Did the little rat come back stateside with you?" he growled. "I'll wring his little neck…"

"It was as much my fault as it was his, Daddy." Evie felt like she was going to cry.

"Oh, Evie, honestly!" her mother exclaimed. "I really thought you had more sense than that! Of all the foolish, stupi—"

"Momma, would you just stop?" Evie cried. "I really don't need this from you, okay?"

John looked up from playing with Aiden when he heard the raised voices from the other room.

"I'm sorry that I—that I screwed up!" Evie said, her voice quivering. She had come home looking for acceptance and was instead being met with accusations. "And I'm sorry that I'm not your 'perfect daughter.' But you know what, I didn't come back home to get a tongue-lashing from you!" With that, she stormed out of the kitchen, through the living room, and burst through the front door, slamming it behind her.

Aiden glanced up from his toy trucks, then looked at John. "Mommy not happy?"

John shook his head. "No, Mommy isn't happy."

XXXXXX

A little while later, after apparently having a parental discussion, Hector and JoAnna emerged from the kitchen. "Think it's been long enough?" JoAnna asked her husband.

Hector looked at his watch. "Yeah. She doesn't stay mad for more than ten minutes."

John smirked. '_Doesn't stay mad at **you two** for more than ten minutes…'_

JoAnna left through the front door and went to find her daughter.

Sensing the tension in the room, Aiden ran over to his grandfather and began tugging on his hand. "Gwanpa, play wace caws wif me!"

Hector smiled and sat down on the floor next to the eager toddler. "Looks like you got all your cars lined up pretty good there, Aiden," he observed. "Can you count 'em all?"

"Uh-huh!" Aiden began pointing at each toy car as he counted aloud. "One, two, fwee, fo', wed, yewwow, bwue…" John and Hector chuckled.

After a moment, Aiden hopped up, "I go potty!"

"D'you need help?" Hector asked.

"No, I do it by mahse'f!" Aiden said, running off to the bathroom which Evie had taken him to earlier.

With no Aiden in the room, there was an awkward moment of silence. Then John spoke up. "I hope I'm not speaking out of line, sir, but you shouldn't be too hard on her. She's been through more than you know."

Hector sighed and gave John a look. "Do you have kids, Sheppard?"

"No, sir." Again with the lies.

"You have hopes for them, dreams for them. They have dreams for themselves, and you want more than anything to see them realized. When they lose those dreams…" Hector trailed off, the implication clear.

Hoping to earn points by complimenting Evie, John said, "You should be very proud of your daughter, sir. She's fought very well, even saved my butt once or twice. She's a damn fine soldier." When John noticed the dirty look he was receiving from his father-in-law, he winced at his slip. He cleared his throat and tried to strike up a conversation. "Uhh…so, Mr. Brooks, you like…umm…guns?"

"No," Hector said, still frowning.

"Oh." John tried again, "Helicopters?"

Hector made a horrified face. "Those death traps?"

John swallowed, wondering what Evie would do to him if he took a vow of silence for the rest of the evening. "Uhh…football?"

Hector grinned. "Now you're talking."

* * *

"I thought I'd find you out here," JoAnna said, approaching the tire swing in the backyard. 

"What do you want?" Evie sniffled from her stationary perch. "You gonna yell at me some more?"

"No, dear," JoAnna said, leaning against the tree. "I came to apologize." Evie looked up at her expectantly. "You know I have a problem with judging, Evie," her mother sighed, looking down. "I'm sorry for yelling. I was just upset because I never wanted to see you get hurt like this." She reached a hand out and gently stroked her daughter's hair.

"I know, Momma," Evie sniffled.

"Forgive me, Evie?" her mother asked gently.

"Just so long as you promise you won't bring it up anymore," Evie mumbled.

"I promise, sweetie."

Evie climbed out of the large tire and walked over to her mother, pausing a moment before resting her head on JoAnna's shoulder. "Love you," she murmured.

"I love you, too, Evie," JoAnna said, wrapping her arms around her child. After a moment, she assured quietly, "And you're still my perfect daughter."

Evie smiled and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Momma."

"Now, let's go back inside and I'll make some tea, what d'you say?"

Evie smiled.

XXXXXX

"Does Aiden like dogs?" JoAnna asked.

Evie caught herself before saying, "I don't know, he's never met one" and instead answered, "Y'all have another dog?"

"Yeah, a yappy little Dachshund," her mother answered. "Mind if I let him out? He's been in the back bedroom since y'all got here."

"Sure, Momma," Evie answered. "I don't think Aiden will mind."

JoAnna disappeared and a few seconds later, high-pitched barking pierced the air.

"Oh, honey, you let the dog out?" Hector called annoyedly from the couch.

"Oh, he's adorable!" Evie giggled as the black and tan sausage ran up to her and began barking. "Yes, I'm a friend, now be quiet." For a little guy, he had a very loud bark.

When the dog still would not quiet down, Hector sighed exasperatedly. "Ronon, you dumb animal, would you _shut up_?"

"What?!" John and Evie chorused.

"Oh! Right. Aiden… Sorry. Ronon, _be quiet_."

John and Evie began laughing. "Oh, my gosh, Dad! Y'all named the dog _Ronon_?"

JoAnna gave her a strange look. "Yes… Something wrong with that?"

"No, no," John said. "We have a friend named Ronon. And now… when I see him, I'm gonna think of this little wiener dog!" He laughed again.

"I see. It _is_ an interesting name," JoAnna said, taking a sip of her tea. "Is your friend Iraqi?"

Evie giggled. "Something like that. I was transferred, remember?"

"Oh. That's right." Her mother nodded.

After licking her hand for several seconds, Puppy-Ronon ran over to John and began the barking all over again. "Bark! Bark! Bar--" Thunk. He fell over.

"Oh, my gosh! Momma, what's wrong with him?" Evie asked, immediately on the floor by the dog's side.

JoAnna just laughed. "He's narcoleptic, dear. Don't worry about him; he'll be fine."

Evie's expression related her amusement. "Oh, my word…that is too funny! He just randomly falls over like that?" She giggled as she looked up at her mother.

"Yep."

Evie sighed. "Well, then, I guess taking him for a walk is out of the question."

"Not unless you want to risk carrying him on the way back," JoAnna said with a shrug.

"No, I guess I'll just go by myself," Evie said, standing up and stretching. "I'm going to take a walk downtown for old time's sake."

"Mind if I join you?" John asked, standing up as well. "It'll give Aiden some time alone with your parents."

"I suppose I can suffer your company for a while, sir," she teased. "C'mon, let's go."

XXXXXX

After seeing nearly all there was of "Dinkyville", as Evie liked to call it, John and Evie returned to the Brooks' house, venturing into the backyard rather than heading straight back inside. "Now, was meeting my parents really so bad?" she asked teasingly.

"No, ma'am," he answered solemnly, shaking his head. He placed his hands on her sides and slowly pulled her closer to him. Glancing up into his eyes, she knew what he wanted. She placed her hands on his arms to forestall any further action. However, after seeing that the blinds on the windows of the house were closed, Evie gave a slight nod of her head. He smiled, then leaned down to give her a gentle, slow kiss. He pulled her hips against his and slid his hands down. Both were unaware of Hector drawing up the blinds. He had intended upon opening the window to let in the gentle breeze, but when he saw his daughter in an intimate embrace with her CO, he stopped. Looking down after a moment, he decided against saying anything, and slowly let the blinds fall.

"Love you," John murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

"Love you more," Evie replied with a smile. Turning around to again make sure that her parents weren't watching through the window, Evie took John's hand with a sly smile. "Come on," she said, leading him towards the old tree-house she had shared with David. "There's something that I've always wanted to do."

XXXXXX

Fifteen minutes later, Evie was extremely glad she had pulled up the tree house's rope ladder. "Evie?" she heard her mother's voice calling. "Evie, dear, are you out here?"

"Oh, crap!" she muttered, reaching down to clamp a hand over John's mouth. "Don't you say a word." John nodded and she removed her hand. "Yes, Momma!" she called.

"What are you doing up there?" JoAnna called, approaching the base of the tree.

"Oh, just…reminiscing," Evie lied, praying her mother would buy it. "I'll be down after while."

"No, you're fine," JoAnna replied. "I was just wondering where you'd gone off to. Whatever happened to John?"

Evie's eyes widened and she tried to think up something. "He went to the store to get, umm…"

"Twinkies!" John whispered quickly.

"Twinkies! He went to get Twinkies!"

"Alright. You have fun up there."

"I will," she answered and John smirked. Listening closely, Evie heard the back door shut a moment later and sighed in relief. "Well…that was close."

XXXXXX

"What do you mean I don't do anything all day long?" JoAnna asked her husband. "I work hard."

"Yes, dear, you work very hard all day long," Hector said sarcastically. "This is what you do all day." He began typing on an invisible keyboard in front of him. Then he picked up the TV remote and held it up to his ear. "Hello?" he answered in a girly voice. "Hey, girl! How _are_ you doing? Oh, Rachel, could you hold on a second? I have another call." He made a phone with opposite his hand and held it up to his other ear. "Hey, Barbara, what's going on?" Evie giggled as he continued.

"Ooh, lemme see if I can work the computer with my feet." He pretended to type with his foot. Suddenly he gasped and said, "Oh! Rachel, Barbara, 'Trading Spaces' is on. Just a minute." He pretended to watch the show and then gasped. He picked up the remote again. "Oh, my gosh, Rachel, can you believe what they did to that living room?"

Evie was now almost doubled over with laughter, knowing that this was an all-too-accurate description of her mother.

JoAnna shook her head and smiled. "That's great, dear. Just remember who's cooking your dinner."

"Ooh, speaking of dinner, what are you making, Momma?" Evie asked curiously.

"Your favorite, of course," JoAnna answered with a smile. "Lasagna."

"Score!" Evie exclaimed. "Need any help in the kitchen?"

"Well, the lasagna's already in the oven, but you can make salad or set the table," JoAnna replied.

"Sure thing," Evie said, following her mother into the kitchen.

Just as John was attempting to sneak off to play with Aiden, who was hiding out in Evie's old bedroom, he heard Hector's commanding voice. "So, Sheppard…do you make it a habit to kiss your subordinates?"

John gulped and slowly turned around. "Do I what?" he asked nervously.

Hector had his prey cornered; now he began very slowly moving in on him. "I saw you kissing her," he spat, anger burning in his eyes, the same look John had seen so many times from Evie.

"I--no…you see--" John took a few steps back.

"I don't take kindly to guys messing with my _daughter_," he growled, forcing John backwards even further. "You could be court-martialed for that, and don't think I'm above reporting you."

"I-it isn't what you think!" John wasn't aware that he'd been backing up until his back hit the wall. '_Oh. Crap. I'm a dead man…'_

"Oh, it isn't?" Hector snarled, crossing his arms with an icy glare. "Explain to me then why you had your hands all over her."

"I…can't, I--"

"You'd better," Hector threatened menacingly.

XXXXXX

"_What?!_"

At the sound of Hector's thunderous outburst, Evie and JoAnna rushed back into the living room. They found Hector gawking at John as if the younger man had just revealed that he was a transsexual. John, on the other hand, was looking very sheepish.

"What's wrong, dear?" JoAnna asked worriedly.

Hector said nothing, just pointed at John.

"Sir?" Evie prompted her husband.

He looked at her nervously. "I-I'm sorry, Evie…"

"What did you do?" she asked apprehensively.

John winced and looked down for a minute. He took a deep breath and then sighed heavily, returning his gaze to his wife. "I can stand up to enemy fire, torture, even a Wr--bad guy, but my father-in-law? No way."

"Father-in-law!" JoAnna exclaimed, turning to her daughter. "Evie, what on earth is he talking about?"

"Uhh…" Evie's lips moved, but no words came out, making her look like a goldfish. "Surprise?" she finally managed.

"Evie…s-surely you're joking?" her mother sputtered.

Evie sighed and pulled on the collar of her shirt, slipping her hand inside and searching for something. Her parents gave her strange looks, and Hector shot John a cold glare when he noticed that the younger man was watching Evie with apparent interest. Evie pulled out her dog tags and held up the engagement ring John had given her nearly five years ago. She half expected blue electricity to arc between her father and John, the tension in the room was so charged.

Fortunately, Hector didn't have a chance to murder his new son-in-law, as Aiden chose that moment to run into the living room, stark naked.

"Baftime, Unca John!" he cried gleefully.

Silently praising his son for intervening, John turned to Evie. "Uhh…you want me to take that?"

The last thing Evie wanted was to have to explain this to her parents by herself, but she didn't like the murderous glare her father was shooting her husband. '_Best to smooth over ruffled feathers,' _she thought. Glancing down at Aiden, standing there in all his glory and looking expectantly at the group of adults, Evie just nodded.

John took Aiden's hand and left the living room as quickly as he could without running.

'_Breathe, Evie, breathe,'_ she reminded herself.

"Evangeline Marie…"

Evie gulped. "Mom, Dad…" She tried her best to smile. "You'll never guess what happened to me while I was gone…"


	8. Home Away From Home

**Three Years Old - 2009**

_"I'm having a party, a party for two. I ain't inviting nobody, nobody but you. You'll be sexy in your socks. We could polish the floors. In case anybody knocks, let's lock all the doors. Yeah, all the things I'm gonna do, I'm gonna do with you. I wanna try something new. I wanna try that too. I'll tell you about it; it doesn't matter what I wear. 'Cause it's only gonna be you and me there." - Shania Twain with Billy Currington, "Party for Two" _

Needless to say, after that exchange, dinner was quite awkward. The silence alone, not to mention the stares, was killing Evie. "Pass the bread, please," John finally asked, somewhat timidly.

Hector shot him a glare, then roughly shoved the plate of buttered bread across the table.

"Thank you," John said, then silence ensued again.

Finally, little Aiden sighed in frustration. "Mommy, why is nobody tawking?"

Evie couldn't help but smile at his innocent, lasagna-stained face. '_Well, sweetie, Grandma and Grandpa are being dumb-butts, is all,'_ she thought, but bit her tongue. "Why don't you tell Grandma and Grandpa about the movie Daniel got you," she suggested, hoping that Aiden's animated story might lighten the mood.

Aiden gasped and smiled joyfully. "Doctah Danya' got me da _car_ moomie!" he said, his face lighting up. "An' Mata' and Wightning scawed da twactors! But, oh no!" he gasped again. "Fwank chaseded dem. But dey wan away, an' Fwank got stuck!" He giggled with delight.

Evie smiled as she felt some of her tension melt away. With Aiden controlling the conversation, the issue of her marriage was momentarily forgotten.

Once dinner was finished, everyone was in a slightly better mood. Stretching as she stood up, JoAnna announced teasingly, "Those under forty have to do the dishes."

"Da-arn," John said, barely catching himself. "Missed it by just a few years." Once in the kitchen, however, he actually volunteered to do them by himself, allowing Evie to put Aiden to bed early; she knew her parents wanted to talk further and couldn't risk the toddler overhearing. But Aiden wanted Goodnight, Moon read to him _several_ times that evening, and so John finished with the dishes before Evie finished with Aiden. Unfortunately, this allowed Hector to pull him into his study, shutting the door behind him.

When they came out fifteen minutes later, they had an understanding with each other. John had sworn that he hadn't forced Evie to compromise on her commitment to abstinence, and Hector had more or less given John his blessing, which Evie was relieved to hear.

Sitting on the couches in the living room, Hector asked, "So…you love her, right?"

John thought the answer to that question was a little obvious, but decided to humor his father-in-law. "Very much."

"And you'd do anything for her?" Hector pressed.

"Yes, sir," John answered with a nod.

"Good." Hector grinned. "Because there's an old Brooks family tradition that anyone marrying into the family has to go through an…'initiation ritual', if you follow me." JoAnna and Evie looked somewhat quizzically at Hector, but didn't say anything.

John suddenly began to look nervous. "What exactly do I have to do?"

"It's kind of a song-and-dance thing…"

John shot Evie an anxious glance. "Wait…are you serious?"

Hector's face dropped to an unsmiling expression. "Of course."

John gulped. "Wh-what do I have to sing?"

"'Grey Squirrel,'" Evie said, jumping in on her father's little prank. "You know, that one that I taught Aiden." She was grinning.

"B-but, I can't sing," John protested.

"But this is for the sake of _love_," JoAnna said teasingly.

John looked like a mouse cornered by three grinning cats. "Just sing and do the dance?" he asked, feeling his cheeks flushing already.

"Yes," Hector answered. "Oh! JoAnna, we do still have that old squirrel costume, don't we?"

"Squirrel costume?!"

"Oh, yes! It's in the attic."

"Daddy, didn't wearing that old thing go out with Uncle Melvin?"

"Okay, I'm sorry, but I draw the line at costumes," John said, trying to save at least a little bit of his dignity.

Hector frowned for a moment, then said, "Family conference." The three of them stepped into the kitchen for a moment. John could only hear faint whispering and a lot of giggling on Evie's part. They returned a moment later.

"Okay," Hector announced, "you don't have to wear the costume…if you sing around the cul-de-sac as loudly as you possibly can." Another snicker from Evie.

"What, _now_?" John asked, horrified with the whole idea.

"Yes," Hector answered, heading for the front door. "Come on," he said, holding the door open.

Once outside and at the street, John looked worriedly at his "family." "So…I just…"

"Run," Evie said. "Around and around and sing as loud as you can."

"And do the motions," JoAnna added.

"And don't stop until we say so," Hector reminded, barely suppressing his grin.

"Okay…" John took a deep breath, knowing that he had to be blushing already. "Remember, Evie, I'm doing this for you." Evie just grinned. Muttering something under his breath about in-laws being evil, he began running, waving his arms as he chanted, "Grey squirrel! Grey squirrel! Shake your bushy tail!" Here Evie and JoAnna had a giggle fit as he paused to shake his rear end in time with the words. "Grey squirrel! Grey squirrel! Shake your bushy tail! Huh! Take an acorn from your toe, stick it up your neighbor's nose. Grey squirrel…"

Five laps later, his spectators were in stitches. "That was…such a great idea, Dad," Evie managed between giggles.

"Shake your bushy…tail," John panted.

"Think we should tell him?" Evie asked with a grin.

"Grey…squirrel…!"

"Nah!" the three of them decided in unison, and then laughed some more.

On John's sixth time around the loop, Hector, who was now mildly impressed that John would subject himself to this embarrassment for Evie, decided to be merciful. "Alright, you can stop now!" he called.

John slowed to a halt and bent to rest his hands on his knees, panting. Returning to the waiting family members, he huffed, "Do I pass?"

Hector coughed, so as not to laugh again. "Yes. Congratulations, Sheppard."

John just nodded, still panting. When he saw Evie grinning, he asked wryly, "You happy?"

"Yes," Evie laughed. She walked up to him and slipped her arms around his neck, hugging him. "Thanks, baby. Love you."

"Love you, too," he said, barely remembering to catch his wandering hands and stop them at the small of her back.

XXXXXX

A little while later, John joined Evie on her bed as she looked through her old photo albums. The pictures of his wife when she was younger greatly amused him. And he loved to see the smile on her face when a photo of her brother inspired a story about the two of them. He was _definitely_ bringing up the fire hydrant tale again in the future.

"Ooh, hottie," he commented, pointing to one of the blonde girls in a small bikini. "She go on to be a supermodel or something?"

Evie looked closer at the picture. "Sophie? Heavens, no! She's fat now and runs a daycare."

John snorted. "Go figure." He chuckled at the next picture and tapped the image of a girl with straggly brown hair, braces, and a less-than-attractive, polka dot one-piece. "What about her?" he asked. "Computer nerd, right?"

Evie paused for a minute. "No, actually. _She_ grew up and joined the Air Force," she answered wryly.

'_Oh.'_ John pursed his lips, then stuck his foot out, nodding toward it. "I'd stick it in my mouth, but I don't think it would fit."

"Uh-huh." Same wry smile as before.

Still trying to redeem himself, he began, "Umm...if it's any consolation, you're a lot hotter now…"

Evie had to chuckle at this _male_ attempt to 'make it better.'

Suddenly, her husband's watch went off. "Damn. I gotta go," he said, turning off the alarm. "I told the guys I'd be there before midnight."

Goodbyes were said, and then Evie walked John to the car. "You have fun," she said.

"I'll be waiting for _you_," he grinned.

Evie opened her mouth to say something, then stopped and pointed behind him suddenly. John turned around quickly, but saw nothing.

"What was it?" he asked, turning back around.

"A lightning bug!" she exclaimed with all the delight of a small child. John snorted and shook his head. "Whaaat?" she asked. "Lightning bugs make me happy. I mean, what other creature can make its butt glow? _Really_…"

John chuckled. "I love your perspective on things."

Evie smiled and leaned in to kiss him, but he held her back.

"What?"

"Is your dad watching?" he asked, looking over her shoulder at the windows of the house.

"If he is, he can get over it," Evie said, placing her hands on the sides of his face and kissing him until he didn't care _who_ was watching.

XXXXXX

About forty miles south of the Mexican border, John pulled into the parking lot of a "nice enough" hotel. After getting a room, he asked the receptionist in which room he might find Matt Brewster. She looked up the name and gave him the room number. John thanked her and quickly found the room. Smiling at the prospect of seeing his old friends again, he knocked on the door.

After a minute, he heard a voice call from the other side, "What's the password?"

John shook his head. _That_ would be Matt. He sighed and called back, "Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of silly persons. I blow my nose at you, so-called 'Arthur King,' you and all your silly English Knnnniggits!"

He heard the deadbolt sliding back and then the door opened to reveal a tall man John's age, with shaggy blonde hair and nicely tanned skin. His green eyes lit up and he grinned widely when he saw his old pal. "Shep!" He pulled him into a bear-hug. "You old son of a gun, it's been for_ever_!"

John returned the embrace, not having seen Matt since Acapulco, seven years ago. "It's great to see you, Matt," he said, grinning.

Matt pulled John inside and shut the door. "Jake!" he called toward the dark-haired man on the bed. "Earth to Jake! John's here!" Jake seemed to be completely absorbed in whatever was playing on the TV, so Matt pulled off one of his flip-flops and threw it at his friend's head.

"What the hell, Matt?" Jake looked up, annoyed, but then his face perked up when he saw Sheppard. "John! Glad you made it, man!" He ran over to the mini-bar and pulled out three dark bottles, grinning. "Now we can break out the beer!"

XXXXXX

So, while Evie had a very relaxing time with Aiden and her parents(which included a trip to the spa, courtesy of her mother), John worked on his tan, surfing with his old Air Force Academy buds. Rodney and Mary had also come along on the maiden voyage to test the intergalactic Gate network from Atlantis to Earth. Of course, they had brought their daughters as well. Mary wanted Rodney to meet her mother and so they decided to spend their allotted ten days in South Carolina, where Melissa Heightmeyer lived. Zelenka had made the trip as well, Rodney having hinted that he wanted another "brain" to come along just in case anything should go wrong. Right now, he was back in the Czech Republic, visiting his father and sister.

After spending the first five days with her parents, Evie bid them farewell and hopped on a plane bound for Mexico. Honeymoon time. With her limited grasp of Spanish, Evie thought it lucky that she managed to direct the cab driver to the hotel address John had given her over the phone. The hotel was right on the beach, and when she called his room and got no answer, she assumed he was out enjoying the sun, sand, and surf.

She assumed correctly. After partying hard the first night, the guys had cut back on the drinking somewhat and spent more time surfing and catching up. "Whoo-wee!" Jake whooped as he spotted a young woman walking down the beach. John looked up to see what female his friend was announcing now. He grinned when he recognized his wife, who then began skipping across the sand when her eyes fell upon him. "Man, would you just look at those legs," Jake commented as he ran his eyes over her tankini-clad figure. "Damn! And she's got that whole bootylicious thing going on, too…" John glared at his friend for a half-second before smacking him upside the head. "Oww!" Jake rubbed his head gingerly. "Man, what the hell was that for?"

"That's my _wife_," John said, shooting him that 'don't-you-get-any-ideas' look.

"Really?" Jake grinned. "Ooh, you go, Shep!" he congratulated. "If you don't mind me sayin' so, she's all that. She's gotta be good, right?"

John tried to give him a stern glare, but his irrepressible smirk answered Jake's question anyway.

When Evie reached her husband, she tackled him onto the sand, her lips taking possession of his.  
"Whoa," Matt said as he came back from the restrooms. "Those two know each other or something?" he asked, watching the couple with interest.

Jake nodded. "Our little _Lady's Man _finally picked a girl to settle down with," he answered. "Actually got married."

Matt grinned. "Alright, Shep! Ooh, nice choice…" he murmured, slowly looking her over.

Evie rolled off her husband, leaving him panting. She stood up, dusting the sand off her body. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like some sex-kitten bimbo," she said with a frown.

"Dayum! Fiesty, too!" Jake hooted with a grin.

Evie shot him a disapproving glare. "Jake, knock it off, she deserves better than that," John said, getting up. "And," he slipped his arm around her waist, "she can totally take you if you make her mad enough." Evie smirked confidently in Jake's general direction.

Jake held his hands up in mock surrender. "Ooh, yes, sir. Anything you say, _Colonel_." He bowed exaggeratedly at Evie. "Major Jake Coulson at your service, madam."

She offered her hand. "Lieutenant Evie Sheppard." John had assured Evie that these two could be trusted not to tell anyone.

Jake chuckled as he shook her hand. "Never thought Shep would find a woman just right for him," he said. "But if you don't mind me saying so, it looks like he found a good one."

Evie blushed. "Thank you."

"And I am Mr. No-longer-in-the-Air-Force Matt Brewster," Matt said, offering his hand, which Evie shook.

"Well," she said, "I look forward to spending more time with y'all, but right now I think John and I have some matters to attend to, don't we, John?" No answer. "John?" She looked up and found him to be staring at something with a lopsided smirk. She followed his line of sight and frowned with she saw a buxom redhead laughing with a girl friend about twenty feet away. She snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Excuse me?"

He snapped his attention back to her. "Huh?"

"Just because she has more cleavage than I do doesn't give you permission to stare."

"Ooh! Burn!" Jake said, laughing.

"_So_ busted!"

John just shrugged sheepishly.

"So…" Evie prompted, "do you want to go up to the hotel for a while?"

John grinned. "Absolutely." Jake and Matt smirked at the couple. "We'll catch you two knuckleheads later," he said.

As John and Evie passed the redhead, John noticed that she seemed to be moving her hands an awful lot. "Hey, Evie," he said, nodding his head in the other woman's direction, "Is she…?"

Evie smiled. "Signing, yes…" Suddenly she gasped. "Oh, I _know_ she didn't!" Waving her arms to get the redhead's attention, she then began signing animatedly.

The woman's eyes widened and she blushed, moving her fist in a small circle over her chest.

"Yeah, you better be, Barbie," Evie muttered.

"What did you tell her?" John asked curiously as they continued making their way up the beach.

"I told her that you were mine and to stop making comments about your cute little butt," Evie answered matter-of-factly. John laughed.

Once inside the lobby of the hotel, John walked up to the front desk. "I now have an additional person sharing my room with me," he announced to the bookkeeper. "My lady-friend, Miss…Myrtle Groggins," he said, gesturing to Evie.

Looking at the couple as if they were heathens, the older woman nodded disapprovingly. "_Agregaré eso a su cuenta_."

"_Gracias_," he said with a nod, then took Evie by the hand and led her over to the elevator.

Once inside, she shot him an evil look. "_Myrtle Groggins_?" she repeated.

"Oh, come on!" He looked almost hurt. "_Remington Steele_?"

"I _know_ what it's from, you dork." She sighed. "You're gonna pay for that, you know."

He grinned boyishly. "I hope so…"

XXXXXX

Three hours later, it was raining and going back to the beach was out of the question. John sighed and began rummaging through the drawers that he hadn't put clothes in. "Why are there are always Bibles in hotel rooms?" he wondered aloud.

"We should ask Rodney; he knows _everything_," Evie answered teasingly.

An evil grin suddenly crossed John's face. "Sometime you should ask him something about sex." Evie just laughed. "I _dare_ you," he taunted.

"Okay, then. They're, what, two hours ahead of us?" she asked, grabbing her cell phone and finding the number in the phone's memory.

"Evie, no!" John cried, reaching for the phone. "I was kidding!"

She moved out of his reach, slapping his hands away. "Hello, Rodney? This is Evie."

Inside their own hotel room in South Carolina, Rodney hit the speaker button on the cell, setting it on the pillow beside him. "Oh. Hi…" He didn't sound overly-excited, but then, he rarely did.

"Rodney, you know everything…" she began sweetly, stroking his ego. "And I had this burning physics question…"

"Oh, yes?" Another chance to prove how smart he was!

"In your expert opinion…" She grinned over at her husband. "What's the best position for optimum pleasure?" She bit her lip to keep from laughing as John began snickering.

"What?" Rodney thought for a moment and then coughed at the awkward question. "Erm…why do you want to…never mind. I don't want to know…"

"I just think you're sooo smart and I wanted to know what you think…"

"I think this is a highly inappropriate conversation to be hav--"

Pretending for John's benefit that Rodney was saying something entirely different, Evie giggled and said, "Really? I don't think I know that one, Rodney. Wanna come over and demonstrate?"

Slightly jealous, John grabbed the cell and put it on speaker at the same time as Mary's shriek was heard. "Is that a call girl?!" she cried, having just gotten out of the shower. "Rodney Nathaniel McKay, are you having phone sex?!"

"No, Mary, it's me, Evie!"

At this, Mary freaked out even more. "Evie, you harlot, stay away from my husband!"

"No, Mary, it's not what it sounds like…" Rodney said, his cheeks flushing at the awkward situation. "Evie just wanted my help heightening her pleasure!" He immediately looked horrified at the way he had phrased himself.

"You people are _sick_!" Mary said, disgusted. When she heard Sheppard's pleased-sounding laugh, she cried, "Eww! Are you two--?" John and Evie just laughed more at that conclusion. "Rodney, is this your twisted version of voyeurism?!" she accused.

Rodney tried to defend himself, but all that came out was a whimper.

Amidst lots of laughter, John managed, "I dared her!"

"What kind of a dare...?" Mary asked, beginning to see how all of this might have gotten started.

"I dared Evie to ask Rodney… a sex question!" More laughter from them both. "'Cause she said he knows everything."

"You _what_?!"

Evie apparently laughed a little too much, because she suddenly cried, "Ahh! Here!" She tossed the phone to her husband and jumped off the bed. "I gotta pee!"

There was silence for a few seconds, then John spoke into the phone, "Hi, Rodney!"

Click.

"Bye, Rodney."

* * *

"Agregaré eso a su cuenta" means "I'll add that to your account." 


	9. Home Is Where the Heart Is

Author's Note: Okay, Tigger, I apologize. Me and ze beta kinda got out of hand when we were having fun brainstorming the last chapter's "sex question" bit. Forgive me?

* * *

**Three Years Old - 2009**

_"I can make anybody pretty. I can make you believe any lie. I can make you pick a fight with somebody twice your size. Well, I've been known to cause a few break ups and I've been known to cause a few births. I can make you new friends or get you fired from work. And since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg, and Bordeaux, France, been makin' the bars lots of big money and helpin' white people dance. I got you in trouble in high school. College, now that was a ball. You had some of the best times you'll never remember with me, alcohol. Alcohol!" - Brad Paisley, "Alcohol" _

"Will you please come to bed?" Evie asked for the second time. "It's late," she said, glancing at the clock.

"In just a minute," John said from his seat in front of the computer. He'd been surfing the web for over an hour.

Evie sighed and dropped her head back onto the pillow. "Is this punishment for asking how many innings there were in the football game on TV?" she questioned.

John laughed. "No," he said, shaking his head and clicking another link. "I'll be there in a minute, alright?"

She mumbled something and rolled over. Five minutes later, she spoke up again. "_Johhhn_…"

"In a minute, sweetheart, I promise," he answered. When Evie didn't say anything after several minutes, John assumed she'd fallen asleep. Suddenly, the hotel phone rang. He gave it an odd look before picking it up. "Sheppard."

"Please come to bed, baby."

John turned around and saw Evie holding her cell phone up to her ear, batting her eyelashes at him. He couldn't help but chuckle. "That's creative," he said, returning the phone to it's cradle. "I'll give you points for that one." He sighed and shut down his laptop. Then slipped off his jeans and crawled under the covers, wrapping his arms around her and contouring his body to hers. "You know what I like?" he murmured, gently kissing the back of her neck.

"Hmm?"

"Sleeping with you."

"No. Way."

"No, I mean…_sleeping_," he said, then elaborated, "Falling asleep with you in my arms."

Evie smiled. "Yeah…"

"I hate that we never get to do this back in Atlantis," he sighed forlornly.

"So, let's enjoy it while it lasts," she purred, craning her neck around to kiss him.

XXXXXX

"Hey, Shep!" Jake called, waving him over to where he and Matt were sitting at one of the tables on the hotel's large veranda. Every Saturday night, the outdoor bar lowered the prices on their drinks and a DJ was hired to play danceable Spanish tunes until well into the early hours of the morning. John was determined to have his wife at least try a Margarita and promptly ordered two as he and Evie sat down at the table with Matt and Jake.

"Some fiesta, eh?" Matt said, taking a large sip of his tequila. "And you see that girl over there? That sweet little Mexican thing? I think she likes me," he announced with a large grin.

Jake rolled his eyes.

"Really now?" John said, still waiting for his drink. "You flirted with her yet?"

"Yep," Matt grinned. "That's how I know she's got the hots for me. She told me so."

Jake shook his head and turned to John. "Shep, will you _please_ tell Casanova here that '_Usted desea, el perdedor'_ does _not_ mean that she likes him?" he begged.

John chuckled. "Sorry, Matt, but I think you're gonna have to try your charms on some other woman," he said with a smirk. Matt pouted. "Oh, look, our drinks." He handed one of the glasses to Evie, who then looked the drink over before taking a sip.

She licked her lips and made a face, as if trying to decide whether she liked it or not. She took another sip, then nodded. "It's good," she said, taking a larger gulp.

John smiled and raised his glass. "To you." Evie smiled and clinked her glass with his, then watched as her husband took a very large drink. Not wanting to be outdone, Evie followed suit and immediately winced at the resulting brain-freeze. John nodded approvingly, then vaguely wondered if this was a good idea. Ah, well, they were on vacation, he reasoned.

It was only two drinks later that John realized the mistake he had made. Evie definitely couldn't hold her liquor. After telling Matt and Jake a slightly embarrassing story about something John had done on Atlantis, she giggled and asked, "Would you believe…I've never had tequila before tonight?"

Jake smiled sweetly. "Could've fooled me."

"Matt," John said, standing up, "I'm going to the restroom. You keep an eye on her," he cautioned.

Matt laughed and saluted. "Yes, sir."

John got back from the restroom in time to hear Evie telling Jake and Matt things that he never needed his buds to know. "Did you knnnnnow," Evie began, waving her pointing hand around absently, "that if you bite his neck jusss right...you can make him squeal?" She grinned.

Jake and Matt laughed, the latter spotting Sheppard approaching and calling out, "Really now? Hey, Shep, c'mere!"

John just rolled his eyes. "Don't touch me, Matt," he said jokingly, standing beside Evie's chair.

"Yes, really!" Evie continued with a goofy grin, "and he's got the cuuuuuutest little freckle...right on his--"

"Let's dance!" John cut her off, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the chair.

Evie managed to snatch her glass and drain it before John had dragged her completely away from the table.

Looking at the other couples dancing to the voice of Shakira, Evie commented, "They're not dancing, they're…c-copulating."

John grinned. "Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?" he asked, pulling her hips against his.

"Contrary to what you may think…_John Sheppard_," she said, her accusatory finger nearly colliding with his nose several times, "I am nnnot _that_ drunk." John bit back a laugh. "I will need…sssseveral more drinks before I let you jus'…do me in the middle of the dddance floor," she giggled. Then she pulled her serious face again. "Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, nodding with that boyish grin.

"Allllright. Now…at _my_ school, they didn't allow…dirrrty dancing. But! I will try my bessst," Evie announced, waving her hands absentmindedly.

John just laughed, then grinned as she turned and pressed her back to his chest, taking her husband's hands and pulling his arms around her torso. When she began moving against him with the music, he quickly learned and matched her rhythm. Soon, Evie began really feeling the music, and John promptly decided that she _must_ have been lying about this being her first time.

_Oh, baby, when you talk like that you make a woman go mad. So be wise and keep on reading the signs of my body. And I'm on tonight. You know my hips don't lie and I am starting to feel you, boy. Come on let's go real slow. Don't you see, baby, asi es perfecto. _

XXXXXX

On the way back from the restroom, an hour and three margaritas later, Evie ran straight into her husband. "Goshhhhh, John, watch where you're ggggoing," she slurred.

John just looked at her, holding her shoulders to steady her. "Evie, I wasn't moving…"

Evie squinted at him. "Are you _sure_?"

John nodded. "Pretty sure."

"Well, then, I shall trrrrry to be lesssss of a klutz," she informed him, trying to step around him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are you going?" he asked, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder. When she looked up at him confusedly, he elaborated, "You're pretty smashed, Evie. I don't want you passing out somewhere…or running off with some cabana boy."

She slowly grinned. "The cabana boy got sssssomethin' you don't got, Johnny-boy?" He rolled his eyes. "Relax, mmuffin man," she giggled. "I jus' wanna go sssit by the poooool."

"Allow me to escort you," he said, linking his arm through hers, for fear that she might fall into the water and drown.

Once he had her safely in a chair, he turned to talk to Matt, who was standing by the edge of the shimmering pool. The conversation had barely started when John suddenly felt a tugging on his pants. And just as suddenly as he felt it, he didn't feel it anymore. But he did notice that he felt noticeably cooler than before. Looking down at his pants around his ankles, he heard giggling behind him.

"I've always wanted to pantssssomeone!" Evie said triumphantly.

John sighed. "Alright, Evie, I think you have _definitely_ had enough to drink for one night," he said, bending over to pull up his pants. All of a sudden, he felt a kick to his rear and the next thing he knew, he was very, very wet. Coming up to the surface of the water, he heard more high-pitched giggling. "Are you enjoying yourself, precious?" he asked, wiping the water from his eyes and struggling to finish pulling up his pants beneath the water.

Evie gasped, as if just realizing what she had done. "Oh, no!" She reached her hands down to pull him out, and John promptly yanked her in. Splash! Her head broke the water a few seconds later, gasping. "Why did you do that?" she cried, clinging to him. "Meanypants!"

"_Meanypants_?" he snorted. "Well, why did _you_ do it?" he asked back.

"Because I thought it'd be funny." Again with the giggling.

"Uh-huh…" John sighed and began gently brushing away the strands of hair stuck to her face. "I think it's time for bed, sweetheart."

"But your hair's so cool!" Evie exulted randomly, running her fingers through his dripping hair.

"Oh, that's my drowned rat look," he said, nodding. "Very popular this time of year."

Evie laughed, then let her head fall sleepily against his chest. "D'zat mean I can't have any more drinksss?"

John began carrying her over to the entry steps of the large pool. "No, sweetheart, no more drinks," he murmured.

"I wan'ed'a try a piiiiiina c'loda…" she mumbled, lazily wrapping her arms around his neck as he felt him scoop up her legs before lifting her out of the water. "An' John…," she slurred, making her last coherent statement of the evening, "f'you make any c'mentsss 'bout me bein' heavy 'cause m'wet…'ll ssslug you…"

"I wouldn't dream of it," he whispered, turning his head to gently kiss her temple.

He managed to carry her through the crowd of people and back into the hotel. As he waited in the lobby for the elevator, he noticed the strange stares people were giving him. "Sorry about the floor," he mumbled to the frowning janitor as he saw the puddle he and his wife were making.

"I l've swimming less'ns, Mommy," Evie mumbled as he carried her onto the elevator.

Once he got them into their room, he tried his best to remove her wet clothes without waking her up, then slipped her into one of his t-shirts and tucked her into bed. "G'night, beautiful," he murmured, kissing her cheek.

XXXXXX

As soon as Evie opened her eyes, she regretted it. "Oh, freaking cow!" She yanked the covers over her light-sensitive eyes as pain shot through her entire head.

When John heard his wife finally waking, he got up from the computer and sat down next to her on the bed. "Problems?" he teased.

"Why does my head hurt so much?" she moaned.

"It's called a hangover, sweetheart," he answered gently.

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"I told you not to drink anymore, Evie."

"No, you didn't!" she groaned.

"Yes, I did. I said 'no more' after we danced, but you didn't listen," he reminded. "And I told you to stop again right before you threw me in the pool."

"Why did I throw you in the pool?" she asked from beneath the blanket.

"I have no idea, sweetheart," he answered patiently. "But it was right after you pantsed me."

"I pantsed you?!"

"Mmhmm."

Evie paused for a moment, digesting this. Suddenly she had a thought. "Oh, no… You weren't commando, were you?" she asked worriedly.

John laughed. "No, Evie, that's only on laundry day. And when I whisper it in your ear at breakfast just to make you crazy all day long."

She nodded, then apologized, "M'sorry…"

He chuckled and rubbed her shoulder, "Hey, you were having fun…"

She paused at his last phrase. Then she pulled the covers down and slowly cracked her eyes open, ignoring the pain and trying to focus on her husband. "John…I didn't…take my clothes off, did I?" she asked nervously.

"Well…you did do some topless dancing…" he lied, not being able to resist teasing her.

"I _what_?!" she cried. When his usual smirk crossed his face and he began laughing, Evie groaned. "Ugh, you freak." She smacked his arm, then paused, thinking. "Hey… why don't _you_ have a hangover? I thought you'd be worse than me…"

"Oh, I could've drunk you under the table," John answered, "but I figured, 'Somebody sane's gotta get this crazy chick back to the hotel room!'" Evie laughed. "So I decided to be a good husband and 'drink responsibly.'"

Evie smiled and replied, "You're sweet. Now go be a good husband again and get me something for my head…"

"As you wish," he answered with a smile.

XXXXXX

"It'll be nice to be back in Atlantis," Evie said as she repacked her small duffel. They were leaving as soon as she was done. "And I can't wait to see Aiden," she commented with a smile.

"I can't believe he's three already," John mused. "I see so much of you in him…"

"Oh, you mean the way he always gets into trouble?" Evie teased.

"No, I meant the way he can just smile and make you forget why you were mad at him in the first place," John answered, favorite memories of his son playing in his mind…

_Sheppard was busy writing a mission report when he heard Elizabeth's voice over the Atlantis speakers. "For everyone who has been working hard today, Aiden Brooks has something to share with you that he hopes will make you smile." Then a slightly quieter, "Go ahead, dear." _

_"H'lo?" Aiden's small voice could be heard throughout the city. "I'ma sing a song, 'kay?" There were a few chuckles and then Aiden began his ballad. "I had a widdle tuwtle. His name was Tiny Tim. I put him in da baftub to see if he could swim. He dwank up all da water. He ate up all da soap. And now my widdle tuwtle has a bubble in his fwoat. Hiccup!" _

_There wasn't a single person who didn't smile, except perhaps Kavanagh, who just rolled his eyes…_

"Alrighty, let's see here," John said, skimming the small English subtitles on the Spanish-written "How was your stay?" survey. "'Basic sex?'" he read aloud with a chuckle. "As opposed to advanced sex?"

Evie read over his shoulder. "It says 'basic information' and 'sex', you dork," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh." His eyes must have jumped. "So it does." He started to fill it out, but, still stuck on the sex track, he looked over at his wife. "We do the advanced kind, right?"

"Shut up and write."

XXXXXX

"Mommy!" Aiden cried gleefully as he opened the front door.

"Hey, sweetie!" Evie scooped him and kissed his cheek. "Did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa?" she asked.

"Uh-huh!" He bobbed his head up and down. "Looky what I got!" He squirmed until Evie set him down. He quickly ran over to coffee table where there was a toy doctor kit. Pulling a pair of red plastic glasses from the doctor bag, Aiden put them on; the fact that they were upside down only made him look more adorable. Running up to his mother, he announced gleefully, "Wook, I'm Unca Wadek!"

Evie and John laughed; that just begged to be photographed, captioned, and stuck on the Atlantis bulletin board. "Did you say 'thank you' to Grandma and Grandpa?" she asked, gesturing to her parents.

Aiden nodded and grabbed the plastic syringe from the bag. "Unca John, you needs a shot!" he said, poking Sheppard's leg with the "needle" end of the toy.

While Aiden showed John how he could "be a docta' jus' wike Cawson!" Evie thanked her parents profusely.

"Don't mention it," JoAnna insisted. "We thoroughly enjoyed having him."

"He told some pretty fantastic stories, though," Hector said. "Stuff about you two killing aliens. And something about a 'stargate.'"

Evie wasn't fazed. "Oh. Well," she said with a shrug, "we got him the first season of _Wormhole X-treme_ for his birthday."

XXXXXX

While waiting in the briefing room along with Zelenka, Mary had a whispered conference with Sergeant Siler. "Alright, bring it up," she said, and Siler quickly retreated down the stairs. "Rodney…" she said, approaching her husband. "I have a surprise for you."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

She nodded. "But you have to close your eyes." Rodney sighed and complied.

"Ready when you are, ma'am," Siler called from the top of the stairs.

Rodney heard Mary walk away for a minute, then a "Thank you, Sergeant."

"No problem, ma'am."

Now her voice was getting closer again as she told him, "Now, I've already gotten approval from Elizabeth and she said you can keep it."

"Keep _what_?" Rodney asked. Suddenly, something fuzzy was in his arms.

"Meow."

Rodney opened his eyes and saw his cat sitting in his lap, looking at him with apparent interest. "Bandit!" Rodney cried happily, scratching the cat's head. Bandit leaned into his master's touch and began rubbing up against him, purring loudly. "All this time and he still remembers me…" Mary was pleased by the look of sheer delight on her husband's face. "I've said it before, Mary, I'll say it again: you're the best." She just smiled.

Suddenly, Radek began sneezing. "Oh, dear," he said, putting a hand to his nose and standing up. "I think…I shall wait elsewhere." He punctuated his departure with another loud sneeze. "Oh, there you are, Colonel," he said, bumping into John on the stairs.

Joining Rodney, Mary, and the twins in the briefing room, John waited until Zelenka was out of earshot before exclaiming, "Whoo doggy, that was fun! I'd get married every day just so I could go on the honeymoon!"

Rodney and Mary rolled their eyes.

"Excuse _me_?" Evie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"With you!"

Evie just shook her head. "Let's go home."


	10. Trouble

Author's Notes: As I noticed my muse and beta making similar comments in the reviews for the last chapter, I also would like to state that I do not condone getting drunk. But Evie isn't me. ;)

This chapter has slight spoilers for "McKay and Mrs. Miller". Also, remember that this is an alternate timeline and the "canon" events that I incorporate are happening at different times than they did on the show.

I profusely thank my beta, Commodore Norrington, for helping me with those certain scenes, and my muse, Tigger, for giving me the ideas for several others. You two are the first recipients of the Cookie (TM) award.

* * *

**Four Years Old - November 2010**

_"I started to fall and the silence deafened. Head spinning round, no time to sit down, just wanted to run and run and run. 'Be careful,' they say, 'don't wish life away.' Now I've one day and I can't believe how I've been wasting my time. In 24 hours they'll be laying flowers on my life. It's over tonight." - Jem, "24"_

"Hey, Meredith, you done with that report yet?" John called teasingly as he and Evie entered Rodney's lab. Rodney's sister Jeannie had left over a week ago, but John still enjoyed taunting Rodney about his name.

"For the last time," Rodney cried, "I had it legally changed!"

"To what? Mer-Mer?" John laughed.

"Ha, ha, so funny," Rodney said wryly. "It's Rodney Nathaniel now, thank you very much."

"Nathaniel an old boyfriend of yours or something?" John joked.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Nathan Fillion. _Firefly_."

"Fine. _But_ I've still got that picture Jeannie gave me of you with your underwear on your head." Sheppard smirked triumphantly.

"Oh, come on!" Rodney protested. "I was _five_!"

Evie could see that Rodney didn't find it funny anymore and stepped in to try to fix things. "Careful, John; if you don't stop calling him Meredith and teasing him about the underwear thing, I'll tell him one of _your_ stories…" she warned.

"Oh, go for it," John grinned. "You got nothing on me."

"Wanna bet?" She smirked, remembering some of the stories that Matt and Jake had told her. "Oh, Rooodneeey…" she said, walking over to the scientist's side of the room.

"What?" he sighed.

"You ever kissed a man?" she asked.

Rodney shot her a death glare of disdain. "Do you really have to bring _that_ up again?"

Evie's eyebrows went up. "Oh! Right. Umm… You ever _made out_ with a man?"

He gave her an odd look. "Umm…no…"

She giggled. "John did. His friends set him up with a transvestite during his first year at the Academy." She laughed again. "Poor baby didn't find out unti--mff." Realizing where she'd been going only a few seconds before, John had quickly crossed the room and clapped his hand over her mouth.

Rodney grinned smugly. "Ooh, defensive…" he noted. "What'd you do? Wet your pants when you found out?"

"No, I didn't," John answered, slowly removing his hand. "We're talking about _me_, not _you_."

Rodney snorted then snarked, "Well, I hope you got your money back."

"Hey, I only sleep with _willing_ chicks!" John countered in his defense.

"Excuse me?" Evie cried.

"Not anymore!" he assured her.

"So, what am I, a duck?" she asked, incredulous.

"Dig yourself outta this one, smooth talker…" Rodney grinned. Suddenly he had a thought. "_Actually_, Evie, now that you mentioned a duck… when you stick your lips out you _do_ kinda--"

Evie shot him a glare. "You know, McKay, this started out with me _defending_ you."

Rodney paused as he thought about this, then said, "Quite right. Carry on."

XXXXXX

Evie was on her way to say goodbye to Michael, who had begged Elizabeth to let him tag along on the scientific mission to Lokar. Zelenka, along with Kavanagh and Campbell, was traveling to the small planet to help the natives with a pest problem. Ever since Michael had read about the Lokars in the Ancient database, he had been dying to study them for himself. After pleading with Elizabeth for several minutes, he had finally gotten her to concede and he was due to leave with the others in fifteen minutes for their two-day task.

With a dreamy far off look and her nose stuck in a book, Evie wasn't watching where she was going and ran right into Lieutenant Cadman as the other woman was leaving the Gateroom.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Laura said with her easy smile. "I should have been watching where I was going."

"No, no, it was my fault like usual," Evie assured with a chuckle as she bent to pick up her book. Laura reached for the bookmark that had fallen from the pages and paused to look it over when she saw that it was a photo strip, the kind taken in mall photo booths. The first picture showed John and Evie cracking up over something Evie couldn't even remember now. The next was the traditional "silly face" picture with tongues sticking out and faces contorted. The third was an adorable picture of the two of them just smiling, with Evie's head resting on his shoulder. The last one, at John's insistence, caught them in a kiss.

Not recognizing her commanding officer with just the cursory glance, Laura smiled. "Looks like fun," she said and moved to hand the pictures back. Suddenly she squinted at the man in the photo and a look of realization crossed her features. Looking up at Evie with a straight face, she observed, "Your boyfriend looks a lot like Colonel Sheppard."

"Funny, huh?" Evie laughed nervously as she took the strip from Laura and placed it back firmly between the pages of her book.

"Well, you _do_ look cute together," Laura replied with a smile.

Nervously chewing on her bottom lip, Evie begged, "Can you just…forget you saw those pictures?"

"Forget I saw what pictures?" Laura answered with a wink.

Evie breathed a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully at the other woman. "Thank you, Laura."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Laura said, then resumed walking.

Glad that a potentially sticky situation had been averted, Evie continued into the Gateroom, where she was surprised to learn that it was Zelenka -- and not Michael -- on whom they were waiting. Radek was up in Weir's office, running over his plan once more with Elizabeth and receiving final instructions.

"Remember, I want regular radio contact. Oh, and don't let Dr. Murphy get himself into any trouble," she said with a grin as she went to return to her chair, brushing lightly against him as was her usual teasing custom.

This time, however, he caught her arm. "Dr. Weir…Elizabeth," he began hesitantly, swallowing. She looked at him with concern; he was unusually tense and the use of her given name by the shy scientist had gotten her attention. "Before I go…"

"Radek," she interrupted, not liking where he seemed to be going. "You're going to be fine. The only possible danger I can think of is that Kavanagh will finally figure out how to take the safety off his gun," she said with a smirk, trying to inject humor into the potentially awkward situation.

"Please, just let me speak," Radek insisted gently.

"All right," Elizabeth agreed hesitantly, perching herself on the edge of her desk.

"These years, in Atlantis, have been so unbelievable, so _neuvěřitelný_," he said, trying to figure out how to best word himself.

"The discoveries we've made have been amazing, yes," Elizabeth agreed.

"That is true," he replied, frowning, "but it is more than that. The people I have met here have become my closest friends…my family," he paused, lowering his eyes. "My _drahá_."

Racking her mind for a minute to remember what that word meant, Elizabeth couldn't stop her eyebrows from shooting up when she recalled the meaning and realized what Radek was saying. While he had occasionally used the word before, he had never used it in reference to _her_, never called _her_ his "beloved."

When Radek finally met her eyes, he saw the shock there and blushed, quickly looking away. He smiled a small smile as best he could and turned to leave.

"Radek…" Elizabeth called, stopping him for a reason she didn't know.

He turned around and looked at her expectantly.

"I…" She faltered and her shoulders sagged slightly. "Good luck on the mission."

She saw his face fall as he nodded and left.

Once the glass door had closed behind him and he was out of hearing range, she kicked the side of her desk. "Damn!"

XXXXXX

The Lokars were just as fascinating as Michael had been hoping for-- anthropologist "fascinating," anyways. While he took notes and learned about their customs and culture, the three scientists were busy trying to help the natives with a small problem. A big problem, actually. A four foot tall, two hundred pound problem with lots of teeth and a mean disposition.

When Lorne's team had visited the planet a week ago, the inhabitants of the large village had implored that Lorne and his men help them fend off creatures that they had named "Chrts." The Lokars had lived in relative peace until the carnivorous beasts began attacking them "three moons ago." By the time the Earthlings had visited the planet, eleven of the Lokars had been killed and…eaten.

Lauren Campbell, kind-hearted animal lover that she was, insisted that the creatures ought not be slaughtered simply for "seeking out sustenance." So Radek suggested that they try something that had worked for an SG team on a previous occasion. According to the mission reports, a team of SG scientists had been able to repel the beasts of P7R-669 with a continuous high-pitched transmission that was too high frequency to bother humans but apparently annoying or painful enough to keep the creatures away.

Zelenka and Kavanagh worked on setting up the device that would broadcast the signal, while Campbell explained to Razog, the leader of this Lokar village, how the machine worked and what to do in case it should malfunction.

"Are you sure you calculated correctly, Doctor?" Radek asked as Kavanagh reached to turn the machine on.

"Yes, Radek," Kavanagh said with an agitated sigh. "I've told you a hundred times, I'm sure I calculated correctly. I always do."

The Czech rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "_Pošetilý sobec_."

"And we are…in business!" Kavanagh declared proudly as the green light on the device began blinking.

"We shall see," Radek said skeptically; he wasn't sure if they had selected the correct frequency, although the tests done on certain Earth animals showed that most species avoided the noise. The two scientists moved their project into the small hut Razog had set aside to shield the device from the elements. Then they followed the generous man to his home, where they would be staying the night. The last three times the Chrts had attacked, they had come out during "the death of the moon," and the scientists had timed their arrival to coincide with the new moon so that they could test their "weapon." Fortunately, the team had an uneventful and delicious dinner and then retired to the small pallets in Razog's hut.

XXXXXX

A shrill cry in the middle of the night brought the Atlanteans running out of the hut. "Alle! Alle! Chrt!" cried a small boy, pointing to the nearby forest from which a constant low growl was emanating. The four scientists quickly ran down to their outpost.

"Why is that thing coming?!" Kavanagh cried, checking over the device. "It's working, it's working!"

"We must not be using right frequency or it would not be here!" Radek snapped. "Maybe this idea will not work for it."

Suddenly, there was a snuffling noise at the entrance and the four scientists whirled around to find a hideous Chrt staring at them in the beams of their flashlights. Its enormous head was covered with large, spiky bumps and its green eyes appeared to be iridescent. Drool spilled from both sides of its open mouth and its teeth looked akin to a velociraptor's. Its hulking brown body was hunched forward, as if the creature's weight was supported on four feet, but was only held up by two stumpy legs.

It stared at the humans, looking almost…confused. Then it began snuffling and stamping its feet, sniffing the air, searching for something.

"This was supposed to repel it, not attract it!" Kavanagh hissed, increasing the volume of the frequency.

Immediately the Chrt let out a low moan and began salivating more, sniffing desperately.

"Campbell, you're the animal person," Michael said, his hand resting awkwardly on his nine millimeter. "What's it doing?"

"I don't…" Suddenly she noticed something about the creature's current state, something that made it apparent what it wanted. "Oh, crap!"

"What?"

"I think… He's looking for a female," she explained.

"Why _here_?!" Kavanagh asked, glaring at her as if it was her fault.

"How should I know?" Lauren shot back, though she was careful not to raise her voice. "Maybe we imitated its mating call or something!"

"So, we'll turn it off!" Kavanagh said, reaching for the switch.

"I don't know tha--"

As soon as the device went offline, the Chrt let out a howl of rage. Before anyone had a chance to respond, it charged at Kavanagh. The scientist reached for his weapon, but the beast's teeth were upon him before he could withdraw his gun. The others had reacted quickly, Kavanagh's chilling screams filling their ears, but their bullets seemed to be having little effect on the creature.

When the screams had been silenced and the scientists had nearly emptied their magazines, the Chrt let out a high shriek and stumbled away from Kavanagh's shredded body. Michael, Lauren, and Radek continued to shoot at it until it collapsed in a corner, where its violent trembling came to a stop.

Lauren couldn't tear her eyes from the gruesome sight of her colleague. "Is he…?"

"He has to be," Michael winced. What little of Kavanagh's insides hadn't been eaten lay spilled on the floor.

Lauren suddenly felt hands on her shoulders, turning her away from the carnage. "Come," Radek said gently, "we must report back to Atlantis."

After assuring Razog that the Chrt was dead, the three solemn scientists made their way back to the Gate, unaware that they were being carefully followed.

Once there, Michael dialed Atlantis while Radek tried his best to console a very shaken Campbell. "So, which one of you wants to tell Dr. Weir what happened?" Michael asked as the Gate began lighting up. His only answer was two loud cracks. He whirled around and saw a blur of movement before something hard connected with his skull and everything went black.

* * *

"Incoming wormhole!" Chuck called as the Atlantis Gate activated. He looked at the computer and waited.

"Who is it?" Elizabeth asked, walking over to his chair.

"I don't know, ma'am," Chuck answered. "There's no IDC." The both watched the screen and waited for the incoming traveler to identify themselves. T o their puzzlement, the Gate shut down instead.

"Sergeant?"

"I didn't touch anything, ma'am," Chuck answered, holding up his hands.

"The Gate malfunctioned?" Elizabeth queried, looking over the railing at the giant ring.

"Possibly."

"Well, I want you to run a diagnostic," she requested, turning to leave.

"Yes, ma'am."


	11. Life and Death

**Four Years Old - November 2010**

_"Your lungs have failed and they've both stopped breathing. My heart is dead, it's way past beating. Something has gone terribly wrong. I'm scared, you're scared, we're scared of this. I never thought we'd make it out alive." - Underoath, "A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White" _

An hour after Radek and company had missed their scheduled radio check-in, Elizabeth had Chuck dial up the planet. Once a connection had been established, she attempted to reach them by radio. "Dr. Zelenka, this is Weir. Can you hear me?" There was silence, so she tried again. "Dr. Zelenka, this is Atlantis. Please co--"

"Elizabeth!" Radek's voice came over her headset, frantic and fearful. "Kavanagh is dead! We are being held ca--"

"Radek?" Elizabeth called worriedly when the Czech's voice was suddenly cut off. "Radek?" She winced when there was a short burst of shrill feedback.

Chuck punched a few controls, but it did no good. "We've lost the signal," he reported.

Elizabeth cursed under her breath. She closed her eyes and thought for a minute before tapping her headset. "Majors Lorne and Johnson, I would like to see you in my office ASAP."

XXXXXX

When the two teams arrived on the planet a half hour later, the scene was much different than the one that had greeted Lorne's team a week ago. The inhabitants of the Lokar village were nowhere to be seen. Last time the children had come out to greet them; now it seemed that the whole place was deserted. A building-by-building search suggested that the natives had left for good. All the huts were empty, every possession gone. Of course, Lt. Mehner theorized that the Lokars could have been looted and enslaved. Or massacred. Summer didn't like Mehner's theory very much.

As they prepared to spread out and search the surrounding forest, they came upon the hut in which the failed experiment had taken place.

It was hard to see in the dark outpost but the teams quickly remedied that situation with the flashlights on their P-90's. Evie couldn't contain a small cry of horror when the beam from her flashlight fell upon the disemboweled body of Kavanagh. The man was barely recognizable except for his ponytail and what remained of his Atlantis jacket. Johnson protectively turned her head from the horrific sight and drew her into his arms. Evie held onto him tightly, trying to think of _anything_ to keep herself from throwing up. Summer managed better than her friend, merely grimacing and turning away.

"Wonder what killed him?" Lt. McKenzie mused aloud, only slightly less grossed out.

"Hundred bucks says it was this…thing," Lorne said, having found the carcass of the Chrt in the opposite corner.

After a moment of awkward silence, Cpt. Adams spoke up. "Shouldn't we radio Dr. Weir?" he asked.

Lorne stared at the dead man for a minute before finally tearing himself away. "No," he answered. At the confused looks he received, he elaborated, "Weir already knows he's dead, but last we heard, the docs were still alive. We keep searching."

* * *

"Incoming wormhole. Colonel Sheppard's IDC."

Elizabeth sighed. John was _not_ going to be happy about this. "Lower the shield," she said, walking down the stairs.

"I want it on record that I don't _ever_ want to see those people again," John said as the Gate shut down, his team home safe and sound.

"The inhabitants were _that_ difficult?" Elizabeth asked.

"You wanna hear about it?"

"Not right now," she answered, shifting to her solemn face. "We have a more serious matter to talk about."

In one of the meeting rooms, ten minutes later, Elizabeth was denying John's and Ronon's requests to join the rescue mission. "For the last time, no," she said in annoyance. "There are two perfectly capable teams taking care of this one."

"But--"

"Ah!" She pointed at John and gave him a stern look. "I'll keep you updated, I promise. We will debrief on _your_ mission in an hour. Now, go rest. Or write your mission report. Just go do something and leave me, please." Normally she wouldn't have been so snippy, but she was worried. Worried about the missing scientists. Worried about Radek. Worried about all that still needed to be said.

* * *

When Radek woke up, he didn't know where he was. All he knew was that somebody had taken his glasses and his head hurt. He slowly sat up and saw the sleeping -- or unconscious -- bodies of Lauren and Michael beside him. None of them were restrained, but Radek frowned when he saw the metal bars that caged them. With a sigh, he leaned over and began shaking Michael awake.

"It's your turn to feed the baby, not mine," Michael mumbled, slapping away Zelenka's hand.

"Unfortunately, I lack the equipment," Radek joked, keeping his face straight.

Michael squinted, his glasses having been removed as well. "You… You're not Summer," he said, still half-asleep.

"No," Radek said with obvious shortness, "and this is not Atlantis."

Michael looked around. "Oh. So they haven't rescued us yet…"

"No, but they will come," the Czech answered resolutely. "They know we are here and that we are imprisoned."

Michael nodded. "Sucks that those goons took our radios…"

Radek turned and gently tried to wake Lauren.

"Hello?" Michael called into the empty space. When there was no answer, he tried again, louder. "Hello?" The walls of the cavernous room bounced his greeting back to him. "Hey, it echoes in here!" he announced with excitement inappropriate to their situation.

"Michael…" Radek sighed.

"Where are we?" Lauren moaned, rubbing her head as she sat up.

"I do not know. You should ask Echo Boy."

Michael was about to make a sarcastic reply when there was a noise that sounded like a door opening -- a door that was in desperate need of some WD-40. The three scientists waited impatiently as footsteps slowly shuffled nearer. Finally, a man came into view.

The old man was tall and skinny, as if he didn't eat enough. His long, white beard matched his snowy, unkempt hair. When he was standing in front of them at last, they could see the slightly wild look in his blue eyes.

When he just stared at them and didn't speak, Radek broke the silence. "Who are you? And why have you taken us prisoner?"

The man smiled. "I am Zurg."

Michael grinned and couldn't resist. "Then shouldn't you be off fighting Buzz Lightyear or something?"

Lauren snickered, but Radek didn't get the reference. "Why have you captured us?" he asked again.

"Because you hurt my children!" Zurg replied, as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Your children?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow. "We were _helping_ the Lokars, not hurting them!"

"No, no," Zurg said, shaking his head. "Not those worthless peasants. They are but fodder for my _children_."

The three scientists looked at each other, surprised. "The Chrts?" Lauren asked timidly. "The Chrts…belong to you?"

"Chrts, yes." Zurg nodded. "That is name those simpletons have given my children."

After a pause Radek said, "We killed the beast because it killed one of our people."

"He was merely hungry!" Zurg insisted. "If you kill an animal to eat its meat, do the others of its kind kill _you_?"

"Animals are not people!" Zelenka cried, incredulous.

"Silence!" Zurg roared -- as best as a very old man could roar, that is. "Do not speak of my children this way. Because of what you have done, you all will be evening meal for my children tonight."

"You can't do that!" Michael shouted.

Zurg didn't answer and began slowly walking away.

When he was gone, Lauren began hyperventilating. "You saw what those things do," she whimpered, "what they did to Kavanaggh… I don't want that to happen to us."

"Shh," Radek said gently. "Elizabeth will have sent teams by now. We just have to trust that they will find us."

* * *

"Well, it certainly _looks_ like a fortress of doom," Evie cracked as the two teams surveyed the small, fortified, non-hut building on the other side of the forest. After discovering Kavanagh's body, the teams had returned to the Stargate, where they found a ballpoint pen that had most likely belonged to Michael. They also noticed several sets of tracks leading into the forest along with marks that looked like bodies had been drug along after the tracks. The ground of Lokar wasn't the best for sustaining tracks, but the teams managed to follow the markings to the large building rimmed with large cages on two sides. Three of the cages had Chrts in them.

"I wonder if anyone's in there?" McKenzie pondered. A quiet whizzing followed by the lieutenant crying out and clutching his thigh answered his question.

"Take cover!" Lorne shouted at nearly the same time as Johnson, more shots forcing the teams to seek shelter behind the thick trees. Lorne tried to catch a glimpse of who or what they were fighting but couldn't see the enemy from his vantage point. "Murphy!" he called to Summer, who was shooting at something from a few yards away. "What are we up against?"

"Looks like twenty armed guards coming from the entrance, sir," Summer answered as she fired. "Make that nineteen!"

Suddenly Adams swore loudly, pressing the heel of his hand to his temple where an alien bullet had just grazed him. "We've got a sniper on the roof of the building!" he warned as he attempted to fire upon the hidden shooter. "Damn! There's three of 'em!"

Eight minutes later, the Atlanteans had killed one of the snipers and all but one lone guard who refused to die. He was hiding behind the small wall surrounding the building and seemed to have a never-ending supply of ammunition.

Suddenly, he hurled a small, round device over the wall and then dropped out of sight. The black ball landed between Summer and Evie, who cried, "Grenade!" when she heard the thing's rapid beeping. The soldiers began running for cover; Lorne paused to drag the wounded McKenzie several feet away and then covered the lieutenant's body with his own.

When the bomb detonated, Summer and Evie, who had been closest, were knocked off their feet by the force of the explosion and quickly covered their heads to protect themselves from the ensuing forest debris that rained down upon them. There was a sudden cry of pain from a few feet away. Evie looked up and gasped when she saw Johnson lying on his side on the ground. A large chunk of wood speared his back, piercing all the way through his chest. "Summer, cover me!" she cried as she ran over to her fallen commander, staying low and darting from tree to tree. By the time she reached his side, he had already lost a good deal of blood. "Sir," she said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Can you hear me?" By the way he was shaking, she wasn't sure if he was fully conscious or not.

"L—Lieu…" Johnson tried. "Lieuten—"

"I'm here, sir," Evie said, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, which Johnson weakly returned.

"H-how bad—"

"You're gonna be okay, sir," she said, but the words sounded hollow even to her own ears as she surveyed the damage. The thick piece of tree had pierced all the way through the lower left half of his chest; there was no way it had missed his lung. Several of his other organs had probably been punctured as well.

Johnson's massive loss of blood was causing him to start losing consciousness. The extreme pain was only barely registering in his mind now. "E-Evie…" Darkness was edging in on his vision, but he fought to remain awake. "Y-you and S-Summer ha—"

"Save your strength, sir," Evie said, pressing her other hand against his shoulder, trying to suppress Johnson's convulsions, which were slowly increasing in severity.

"We--we both know I'm not…gonna make it," he managed through clenched teeth, the taste of blood in his mouth. Evie's face was blurring in and out of focus as Johnson struggled to stay cognizant for a few minutes more. Although, hazy vision or not, he could still see the tears that slowly slipped down her cheeks. He gave her hand a feeble squeeze. "It's bee--been a pleasure…having you and Su-Summer in…my command," he whispered, breath coming in ragged gasps.

"It is an honor to serve with you, sir," Evie said softly, refusing to admit he was dying by saying "was."

Johnson turned his head to the side, coughing harshly, blood spattering onto the ground beside his mouth. More tears spilled from Evie's eyes, leaving grimy trails through the dirt on her face. Recovering from the coughing spasm, Johnson turned back to look at Evie. "Lieutenant…"

"Yes, sir," Evie murmured. "I'm here."

Johnson's body gave a final shudder, and then his head fell limply to the side. With a muffled sob, Evie pressed her fingers against the side of his neck. No life-giving beat. She gently closed his eyes, then stood to rejoin Summer, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. She was angry now.

* * *

John hated not being able to do anything, he really did. It drove him nuts having to sit there and listen to his mind run through the "what if"s. '_What if they can't find our guys? What if **they** get captured? What if they get **killed**? What if **Evie** gets--' _John didn't permit his mind to finish that thought. '_Evie does this every day,'_ he told himself. '_She'll be fine. She can take care of herself.'_ John sighed. Who was he kidding? He worried for his wife's safety every time she stepped through that Gate.

Taking over for Carson, who had been watching Rachel and Aiden, didn't help John much either. He thought that the children, oblivious to what was happening off-world, were entirely too cheerful.

"Hey, Aiden," Rachel said, looking up at him.

"Huh?" the boy asked, not taking his eyes off the toy trains.

"Will you mawwy me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes like she had seen her mother do.

Aiden made a face. "Eww, no!"

"Why not?" Rachel pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Dat's what people do. Dey get mawwied."

"I don't wanna marry _you_," he refused, shaking his head. "You're a girl!"

She giggled. "Well, ya can't mawwy a boy, silly."

"Ee-eww!"

This made John smile. There were several people on Atlantis who thought that Aiden and Rachel would make an adorable couple when the children were older. "Think of it," John had overheard someone say, "the McKay boy and the Beckett girl." John snorted. '"_McKay boy" my ass,'_ he thought to himself. '_The kid's got "Sheppard Junior" stamped on his forehead. No way does he look like that pudgy Canadian… Aiden's a carbon copy of me, except for the parts that look like Evie. Evie…'_ His smile faded. '_Be safe, Evie.'

* * *

_

With the lone gunman finally eliminated by the wrath of one Evie Brooks, Lorne made a decision. "Murphy, Brooks!" he shouted, then dropped his volume when he had their attention. "I need one of you to stay here and lay down cover fire with McKenzie and the other one to raid the building with us."

Summer looked anxiously over at Evie, her eyes pleading with her friend. Evie nodded understandingly. The captain had revealed something to her earlier that morning at breakfast…

"_Okay, **what** are you so happy about?" Evie finally asked. "You've been smiling all morning." _

_Summer grinned, then bit her lip. "Promise not to tell?" Evie nodded and leaned in closer to her friend. "Well, me and Michael are extending our family tree again." She delivered her news with an ecstatic smile. _

_Evie's eyes widened in surprise and she smiled. "Are you serious? That's great!" _

_"Shh!" Summer cautioned, motioning that Evie ought to lower her voice. "Don't say anything to anyone. Michael doesn't know yet. He left on Monday and I found out last night." _

_Evie grinned. "Your secret is safe with me, mon capitan." Summer laughed…_

"This isn't a time for 'rock, paper, scissors', ladies!" Lorne called.

"Coming, sir!" Evie grabbed the extra magazine Summer offered and then rushed over to join the major, ducking bullets as she ran.

"Alright," Lorne said, explaining the plan as quickly as he could. "Adams and I will take point. Brooks and Mehner, you cover our sixes. Once we're inside, you two cover us while we get our guys free. As soon as they're out, get 'em back to the Gate; we'll be right behind you. Understand?" There were three "yes, sir"s, then he called, "McKenzie! Murphy! We're going in!" Summer fired at one of the trigger-happy snipers in response. "Let's go," Lorne ordered.

Moving quickly, the foursome proceeded to storm the stronghold. Summer and McKenzie had their hands full keeping the snipers pinned down. Apparently Zurg didn't feel the need to further defend his prisoners; he assumed his snipers and guards offered sufficient protection. His mistake worked greatly to the Atlanteans' advantage, as Lorne was able to free the three scientists with several shots to the force shield control and a little C4 on the cell door.

"Get to the Gate!" Lorne ordered over the noisy firefight outside. The scientists followed quickly behind Evie and Mehner, who covered the snipers and allowed Michael, Radek, and Lauren to begin running for the gate. Bringing up the rear, Lorne and Adams were right behind them. Lorne tagged both Evie and Mehner as he ran past them, and they followed his sprinting form. "Campbell!" Lorne yelled to the scientist in the lead. "Dial the gate; don't wait for us!" Covering one of the snipers, he ordered, "Murphy, help McKenzie. Brooks and I can hold 'em."

Summer nodded and ran over to help the wounded man to his feet, pulling his arm around her shoulder. "C'mon, Lieutenant, let's go," she said, helping him to hobble along quickly.

As soon as those two were gone, Lorne ordered Evie, "Break for the gate!" and they both began running. Little did they know that their adversaries had left their posts and begun chasing them. Lorne quickly passed up Evie and she saw that it was to help Summer drag McKenzie back to the gate. She had almost caught up to Radek when a shot suddenly rang out and he cried aloud in pain as he fell to the ground.

Looking back, Evie could see that Zurg's snipers were nearly on top of them. But she _couldn't_ leave Zelenka! She quickly ran over to him and saw that he was bleeding from a wound dangerously close to his heart. "C'mon, Radek," she said as she tried to pull him up, grunting with effort. She managed to get him to his feet and struggled to support his weight. "Work with me, Radek!" she cried as she tried her best to run with him towards the Gate. She suddenly felt a piercing pain in her right forearm and realized that she had been shot. Gritting her teeth against the pain and Radek's dead weight, she turned and was able to fire ten shots at her attackers before her ammo ran out.

Screaming at her muscles to move, she made it to the Gate and threw herself and Radek through it. The second they hit the Gate Room floor, she began sobbing. A medical team had already been summoned on account of McKenzie and when Elizabeth saw Radek lying on the floor, gravely wounded, she cried, "We need another medical team in here, _now_!" her voice nearly breaking at the end. She was quickly kneeling next to him, and took his hand in hers. "Hang on, Radek," she whispered, brushing his hair out of his face.

Seeing that Zelenka's injury was clearly more serious than McKenzie's leg, Carson rushed over to the unconscious Czech. "What happened to him?" he asked nobody in particular, pressing a gauze pad over the man's wound.

"They shot him!" Evie sobbed, slowly sitting up and cradling her wounded arm. She looked over and saw Michael comforting his crying wife, and then saw John standing on the sidelines a few feet away. She wanted to run to him, to cry and scream 'Why _him_?' and have him hold her in his arms. But she knew she couldn't, not until later. So she just sat there, waiting for one of the medical personnel to see that she was injured, too.

Radek was quickly whisked away, Elizabeth following worriedly. Then Nurse Emma came and tended to Evie. "Let's get you back to the infirmary, ma'am, and get that taken care of."

XXXXXX

After a fairly complicated surgery to remove the bullet from Radek's deltoid and telling Elizabeth to "either sit down or go away!" Carson emerged from the OR looking tired.

"Is he going to make it?" Elizabeth asked, jumping up.

"Elizabeth," Carson sighed. "Have you been here the whole time? I told you to get some rest."

"Is he?" she insisted, more concerned than Carson thought she normally would have been.

Carson nodded slowly and Elizabeth sighed in relief, closing her eyes for a moment. "He's lost some blood, but we replaced it after we removed the bullet," he explained. "A little rest, some physical therapy, and he should be good as new."

"Is he awake?"

Carson shook his head. "But the sedatives should wear off soon. You can go sit with him if you wish." Elizabeth nodded and thanked him for a job well done. Then she entered his room.

She walked timidly over to Radek's bedside, hating how pale and fragile he looked. He seemed to be resting peacefully, breathing much better now with the aid of a canula. She pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down, gently taking his hand. "Come back to us, Radek," she murmured. After a pause, she whispered, "Come back to _me_."

Suddenly she felt a small squeeze of her hand. She smiled and watched as Zelenka's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Well," she commented with a smirk. "Your timing sure is convenient."

"I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about," he mumbled, squinting his eyes in an attempt to focus on her face.

Elizabeth smiled. "Uh-huh." There was a comfortable silence for several moments, and then she spoke up again. "So…I've been thinking…about what you said before you left." She saw him blush. "Or rather what you didn't say…"

"And…?" he prompted after a few seconds.

"And…" She looked down for a moment, making sure she was certain. "And I agree wholeheartedly," she answered, returning her eyes to his. Elizabeth didn't think it was possible for anyone, let alone Radek, to smile that big.

"Really?!" he cried, his eyes shining like a little boy on Christmas morning.

Elizabeth nodded and then they fell into another pleasant silence.

The moment was broken, however, when she was paged to the Control Room. Chuck needed to talk with her about something.

"You should go," Radek said.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. I'm sure he can manage without me for a while," she said and then told this to Chuck.

Radek smiled.

They talked for a while more and she stayed with him until he fell asleep. "I'll be back later," she whispered, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it gently before she left.

XXXXXX

Later that evening, those closest to Joshua Johnson were all coping differently with his death. Elizabeth, who had known the man for twenty years, was keeping her pain to herself as she always did, continuing with the fake smiles and promising anyone who asked that she was fine. Summer, who had come to love the major as a father, wouldn't eat and had cried until she couldn't anymore. Michael, who had had a good friendship with Joshua, was still in a state of shock; Johnson's death would hit him harder later, and then he would cry. Evie, who also had enjoyed a father/daughter relationship with the man, had locked herself in her room as soon as she had been released from the infirmary with a small cast on her arm. There she had sobbed until she fell asleep. When she woke up, however, her emotions took a turn for the worse.

Having finally been released for the day, John didn't even stop to eat dinner before going to check on his wife. He also didn't bother to knock. Evie looked up in horror when she heard her door whoosh open. Both she and John froze as their eyes met.

John's heart sank when he saw the thin line of red on her upper arm. Her opposite hand was clenched tightly around something. "Evie, what are you doing?" he asked sadly, even though he knew. That first passionate afternoon they'd spent together, on their "wedding day" in Venalia, he'd run his fingertips gently over her old scar and asked where it had come from. Evie had blushed and confessed, promising that it was from many years ago.

"N-nothing," she mumbled now, her voice breaking.

John just looked at her sadly for a moment, then slowly walked over to her bed. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her while he slowly took the razor blade out of her hand.

Evie immediately started bawling. John slipped the sharp object into his pocket and drew her head to rest on his shoulder as she clung tightly to him. He started to say something comforting, but then realized that she didn't need words. Not now. She just needed _him_.


	12. Ups and Downs

A/N: Mucho cookies to the world's greatest beta: Commodore Norrington!

* * *

**Four Years Old - November 2010**

_"I have had my wake up. Won't you wake up? I keep asking, "Why?" I can't take it. It wasn't fake. It happened, you passed by. Now you're gone. Now you're gone. There you go. There you go somewhere I can't bring you back. Now you're gone. Now you're gone. There you go. There you go somewhere you're not coming back. The day you slipped away was the day I found it won't be the same." - Avril Lavigne , "Slipped Away" _

"Mommy, where's Uncle Josh?"

Evie looked down at her sandwich. She wasn't ready for this… "He's…" Tears slowly filled her eyes. "He's gone away, sweetie."

"When will he come back?" Aiden asked innocently.

Evie licked her lips. "He's…not coming back."

Aiden looked confused. "Why not?"

"He can't, Aiden," she said quietly.

"Why not?"

"He just can't. He's gone."

Aiden picked up on his mother's slight increase in volume and frowned.

Evie closed her eyes for a minute before gently saying, "I don't want to talk about it anymore, baby."

"Okay, Mommy," he said and returned to eating his chips.

Evie stared sadly at her half-eaten sandwich for several minutes and didn't hear or see John approach them until he sat down in the chair next to her. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey, yourself."

"Hi, Uncle John!" Aiden greeted with a big smile.

"Hey, Aiden." John returned the smile. "You know what? I think they're serving ice cream right now! Why don't you go get yourself a big bowl?"

Aiden gasped and his eyes sparkled. "Okay!" He hopped down off his chair and ran off to fetch a dessert.

Evie wasn't sure why John had sent Aiden away, but she had a pretty good guess.

"Sweetheart, I think we need to talk," he said after a pause.

'_When it rains, it pours,'_ she thought miserably to herself, then asked nonchalantly, "Talk about what?"

He looked down and answered quietly, "You know what, Evie."

She mimicked his action, studying her lap. "…oh."

John still couldn't understand what had made her resort to self-harm. Again. "Why?" he finally asked, looking back up at her.

"It makes me feel better?" she tried, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"Why didn't you talk to me?"

Evie quickly became defensive, asking bitterly, "And what would you have said? 'It's gonna be okay'? 'He's in a better place'?"

John thought this over for a moment. "I don't know what I would've said, but couldn't you have given me that chance?"

"I--" She faltered, quickly wiping away the threatening tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just…" This time she let the tear slowly roll down her cheek.

"Hey…" he said gently, reaching a hand out to touch her face. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself, okay?"

Evie nodded slowly, a few more tears falling.

"So…promise to try and talk to me next time?" he asked.

She nodded again and then leaned over to lay her head on his shoulder, sniffling as she wrapped her arms around him. "I miss him so much…" she whispered.

John hugged her tightly. "I know, Evie, I know."

XXXXXX

"Attention Atlantis personnel: a memorial service will be held for Dr. Kavanagh tomorrow afternoon. Personnel are reminded that Dr. Kavanagh was an important member of this expedition and I would personally appreciate your support. Attendance is…strongly encouraged."

"'Strongly encouraged'?" John asked, looking up from his report and raising an eyebrow at Elizabeth.

"She means 'mandatory,'" Rodney joked into his coffee cup.

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm worried that Dr. Kavanagh's popularity will be an issue at the memorial service," she conceded.

"What popularity?"

Elizabeth gave Rodney a warning glare.

"How about offering food?" John suggested.

"Food?" Ronon and Rodney repeated in freakish unison, their eyes lighting up.

Elizabeth frowned. "I'm not going to _bribe_ people into attending a man's funeral."

"It's not bribery," John insisted. "Besides, haven't you ever heard of 'funeral meats'?"

Elizabeth had to smile at the reference. "Nice, Hamlet, but no."

"Then how else do you propose getting them there?" he asked. She didn't answer; she had no answer. "It's a long-standing marketing strategy. I mean _tradition_."

Elizabeth sighed. "Fine. But no funeral pizza or funeral beer."

The three men sighed resignedly.

XXXXXX

"Dr. Kavanagh worked hard to ensure the success of this mission. One of his contributions to the expedition was…" Elizabeth paused, thinking hard. "Well, he… He didn't blow things up as often as Radek." She sighed in frustration as she tapped the end of her pen against the index card in front of her. Deciding what to say at someone's memorial service wasn't easy, especially when that person was Kavanagh. She drummed her fingers on the table for a moment, then tried again, not noticing John enter her office. "I know we will all miss his…"

"Ponytail!" John interrupted before she could think of something.

Elizabeth looked up and gave him a wry smile. "Eulogizing isn't as easy at it looks," she commented.

John gave her a smirk and teased, "Having trouble finding nice things to say about our _dearly departed_--" He stopped and looked confused. "What _was_ his first name?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at him. "Kevin."

"Kevin? Really?"

Elizabeth blinked thoughtfully for a second. "Wait… Calvin," she said, then nodded. "That was it. Calvin."

"Well, it's time to pay our last respects to dear Calvin," he said, pointing to his watch. When Elizabeth looked down at the blank note card worriedly, John smiled. "Hope you're good at impromptu, Doctor."

She sighed heavily. "We'll see."

As Elizabeth stood in front of the waiting crowd with no accolades coming to her mind, she decided to go for "short and sweet." She cleared her throat nervously and began. "Doctor Calvin Kavanagh was a scientist, and a highly qualified one at that. He…kept to himself mostly. But his contribution to this expedition was…" What was wrong with her? Elizabeth didn't have trouble articulating things. She tried again, "Dr. Kavanagh never allowed authority to stop him from doing what he thought was right."

Elizabeth pretended not to see Rodney lean over and whisper to Michael, "Even when he was wrong," and she continued. "Though I'm sure some of us had our differences with him, he was a valuable asset to the success of this mission, especially during our first year here. I'm sure we all remember the incident when the jumper got stuck in the gate. It was Dr. Kavanagh's idea which saved the lives of the team."

Recalling this incident made Elizabeth think of Ford, who had stayed behind in the jumper to blow the rear hatch. She sighed sadly and hoped that wherever Ford was he was okay. Her gloomy thoughts of the lieutenant made it appear that she was getting a little choked up about Kavanagh, as she resumed with, "He was killed tragically a few days ago, while trying to render assistance to the inhabitants of the planet Lokar. And I _know_--" She punctuated this word with a hard stare at the rest of the expedition. "--we will all miss him."

As if on cue, dear, sweet Miko sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with her tissue.

After Elizabeth had stepped down and the small assembly had begun to disperse, John found Ronon and Rodney. "Hey, guys," he said quietly with his mischievous Sheppard smirk. "Don't tell Elizabeth, but I got us pizza."

Ronon and Rodney grinned.

XXXXXX

The memorial service for Johnson the next day was much more somber than that of Kavanagh. As with the scientist, there was no casket for the major, since there was no body. Most of his effects had been sent through the Stargate to be claimed by his younger brother, Joseph. After the rescue mission -- when he had gotten over his initial shock and privately mourned his friend -- Michael had asked Elizabeth's permission to speak. All was quiet as he stood before the other members of the expedition.

"Major Joshua Johnson," Michael began, "was an amazing guy. He was caring, selfless, and loyal. He would have taken a bullet for any one of us. Heck, he _did_ take one for me a year ago. Saved my life." Michael paused, running his thumb under his glasses and swiping at his brimming eyes. '_Pull it together, Michael.'_ He didn't really care that the rest of the expedition was watching him cry; he wanted to get through this, to give his friend the honors he deserved.

"He didn't have children of his own, but he was--" Michael paused again, turning away from the microphone with a small, "Excuse me." Turning back to the audience a few seconds later, it was clear that Michael was struggling to maintain his composure. "He was a surrogate grandfather to all of our little ones," he managed, voice wavering dangerously, "whom he loved very much." At this, Michael could no longer hold on. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he clutched the podium desperately. In the audience, Summer squeezed Evie's hand tightly, her eyes filling with tears as well.

After a long moment, Michael took a ragged breath and turned toward the picture of Major Johnson which was centered in the memorial wreath. "Goodbye, Joshua," he whispered and then quietly stepped down, returning to sit next to his wife, who slipped a comforting arm around his waist.

XXXXXX

Four days later, Summer, Michael, and Evie were assigned to Major Donovan's team, one of six new military members sent to Atlantis by General Landry. One day after that, Evie was sick of him. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, but she and he didn't mesh very well. While Johnson had always been lenient on her attitude, Donovan wasn't going to stand for it. Thus, when Sheppard asked where Evie was one afternoon, he was directed to the kitchen.

"Why are you peeling potatoes, Lieutenant?" John asked, looking confused.

Evie sighed and looked up. "Because Major Donovan was being a butt and I mouthed off and he gave me KP," she said with a frown. "What, you think that's funny?" she asked when she saw John trying not to smile.

He quickly shook his head. "It just doesn't surprise me too terribly much."

"You trying to say something, sir?" she asked, reaching for another potato.

"Just that you don't have an abundance of respect for authority," he answered gently.

"And _that_," she said, punctuating the word by pointing the peeler at him, "is why I am a lieutenant."

"That's actually why I was looking for you," John said with a smile. "You need to bring your uniform back out of mothballs. Major Lorne is being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel."

"Hooray for him," Evie said, returning her attention to the potato in her hand.

"And you to Captain."

Her hands stilled and she looked up again. "No way! Really?" she asked, grinning, and he nodded. "Score!" Suddenly a frown replaced her smile. "But look at all these potatoes!" she lamented, gesturing to the large crate of spuds waiting to be shaved.

John chuckled. "You keep working until 1600 and I'll let you off without having to finish the rest," he instructed.

"Why can't you just let me go now?"

"Because," he replied with a smirk, "you need to learn to control that tongue of yours."

Evie stuck that tongue out at him in defiance as he left.

XXXXXX

Feeling much happier than when she had worn her uniform a week ago, Evie tried her best not to bounce on the balls of her feet as John made his little speech. Not that she could bounce very well in those blasted navy-colored pumps. She smiled nervously as John finished and turned to her. "Evangeline Brooks," he addressed her with an easy smile. "The United States Air Force has recognized that you have fulfilled tasks and duties well beyond the responsibility of Lieutenant. It is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you the responsibilities, the respect, and the rank of Captain."

_'Spot on, John,'_ he congratulated himself. '_Exactly like General O'Neill said to say it.'_ Elizabeth held up the small case for John and he retrieved the double-bars, removing Evie's single ones and pinning her new insignia onto her uniform. He then saluted her and she returned the gesture. "Congratulations, Captain," he said, giving her a chaste kiss on her cheek. Evie smiled and watched as he repeated the ritual on Marcus Lorne, who stood beside her.

"Congratulations, Colonel," John said as he saluted Lorne, "but I'm not kissing you."

Lorne chuckled as he lowered his hand. "I'll try to manage, sir." John returned to stand by Elizabeth, starting the applause.

When the clapping had faded away and those involved had stepped down, Elizabeth dismissed them, saying that John need only get that report to her by the end of the day. John nodded and whispered something in Evie's ear, then left for his quarters. Ten minutes later, she joined him.

"So, what's the first thing you're going to do as _Captain_?" he asked when she entered his quarters.

Evie grinned. "You." She tackled him onto the bed, burying her face in his neck. "Do you have _any_ idea how much you in that uniform turns me on?" she growled, biting him, then lifted her head to plant a kiss on his lips. "When you kissed me, I about lost it…"

John kissed her roughly, then flipped her onto her back and pinned her wrists to the mattress, grinning when she struggled against him. "Well, you're in a _skirt_, dear. Think of how _I_ was feeling…"

When uniforms started being tossed a moment later, John murmured, "If those get wrinkled, you're paying for my dry cleaning…"


	13. Splitting Headache

A/N: The Evie/John storyline in these next chapters was taken from a plot bunny given me by Kristeen. Thanks so much, girl!

* * *

**Five Years Old - May 2011**

_"I missed you so much that I begged you to fly in and see me. You must've broke down, 'cause you finally said that you would. But now that you're here I just feel like I'm constantly dreaming. 'Cause something's gotta go wrong 'cause I'm feelin' way too damn good. And it's like every time I turn around I fall in love and find my heart face down and where it lands is where it should. This time it's like the two of us should probably start to fight 'cause something's gotta go wrong 'cause I'm feelin' way too damn good." - Nickelback, "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" _

And so it was that Atlantis had another wedding. While Elizabeth hadn't wanted anything fancy, Radek had insisted on a dress. Atlantis's fearless leader had looked absolutely beautiful in the white-diamond, strapless gown. Rodney had, per Zelenka's instructions, spiked the wedding punch with the Czech's homemade brew, and so by the time the happy couple stumbled through the Gate for their honeymoon in Trevahlea, nearly the entire population of Atlantis was fall-down drunk. As soon as he was sober, John took over the duties of running the city for the next few days.

Upon their return five days later, Elizabeth asked him, "Did you do a good job taking care of my city?"

"_Your_ city?" John asked with a raised eyebrow.

She laughed. "Yes, _my_ city."

"Well, I didn't burn it down," he answered. "Except for that one explosion in the lab. But that wasn't my fault!" he added quickly.

Elizabeth just shook her head. "Thank you, John. Tomorrow you'll be back on active duty, but for right now...take the rest of the day off."

John smiled. "Thanks, Elizabeth." He grinned as he walked out of her office. He knew just how he would spend his newfound free time…

Although Elizabeth's hasty decision to marry Radek had been judged by many as foolish, precipitous, or just plain weird, it became apparent in the months that followed that she truly was happy. She was smiling more, looking at situations a little more optimistically-- heck, John even caught her humming to herself one time.

And as for Radek…well, he was very happy as well, if the permanent grin on his face was anything to go by. Zelenka had been extremely shy and nervous around his "crush"; now that she was his, he was a regular Romeo. The adorkable Czech was never short on ways to express his love for Elizabeth. Flowers, cultural artifacts he knew she would like, dinner dates, even love letters written in Czech, in which Elizabeth was quickly becoming fluent. After the first few months, no one had any lingering doubts about whether or not they were meant for each other.

XXXXXX

"Just for the record," John said as he toweled his wet hair, "I officially _love_ days off."

Evie laughed as she pulled her own wet hair into a ponytail. "Yeah, well, on _my_ next day off, I'm going to sleep," she decided. "I've still got to finish out the rest of the day and I'm exhausted now."

"Glad to help," John replied with a grin.

Evie rolled her eyes. "Ugh. You and your ego…"

After quickly getting dressed, the two embraced before they were to return to work. "Make sure no one sees you leave," he said, kissing her cheek.

"I am so tired of all this sneaking around," she lamented, resting her head on his chest.

"I know, sweetheart," he murmured. "Me, too."

"Why can't we just tell everyone?" she asked, not expecting an answer.

"If one of us retired from the military, we could," John mused.

Evie looked up at him. "That's a pretty dramatic thought, John," she said.

"I know." He released her and let his arms drop to his sides. "I'm just so damn tired of keeping it a secret."

"Would you really retire for me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't say me," he said, gesturing with his hands. "I mean, it would make more sense for you to step down, what with me being _Colonel_ and you just being a Captain." John couldn't resist again mentioning his recent promotion.

Evie frowned. "Wow, I feel special," she commented sarcastically.

John shrugged. "Sorry."

"Well, why can't _you_?" she asked, flustered.

"Because I'm the ranking military officer here _and_ one of the senior staff," he explained somewhat haughtily. "_You_ should step down."

"No!" Evie flat-out refused.

"And why not?" John asked, crossing his arms.

"Because…because I don't want to, that's why!" she snapped.

"What the hell kind of excuse is that?" he cried, not realizing that he was increasing his volume.

"Well, what kind of excuse is 'I'm Mr. Big-and-Important'?" she retorted.

"It's better than yours!" he shot back.

"So what?" They were both yelling now. "I'm not quitting and you can't make me," she asserted childishly, eyes full of anger.

"Oh, can't I?" John countered. "I'm your CO; I can order you to do whatever the hell I want!"

"You do and I'll never speak to you again," she spat.

"Go ahead! See if I care!" he dared venomously.

"Fine!" Evie thought for a moment. "If you force me to step down, I'll tell Elizabeth that Aiden is _your_ son and get your sorry little butt court-martialed!"

"You wouldn't dare," he taunted.

"Watch me!"

"Dammit, Evie," he yelled, "you can be such a bitch!" Evie raised her hand to slap him, but he caught her wrist in his hand and twisted her arm roughly behind her back, quickly pulling her against his body and pinning her with his other arm. "You wanna try that again?" he growled.

"Let go of me, let go of me!" she cried, squirming within his strong hold. "You jerk, let me go!" She managed to ram her free elbow into his stomach and he instantly let her go, doubling over. With one last fiery glare at her husband, Evie stormed over to the entrance of his quarters.

Straightening back up, John watched her leave. "What, no kiss goodbye?" he sneered. Evie scowled in frustration. Damn, she hated not being able to slam the doors here.

Waiting five minutes so as not to run into her in the hallway, John left his quarters and made his way to back Elizabeth's office. "Permission to take a jumper out?" he asked, hoping she would say 'yes' without asking too many questions.

"By yourself?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. John nodded, keeping his eyes on the stack of files on her desk rather than meeting her questioning gaze. "Any particular reason why?"

"I need to let off some steam?" he tried hopefully.

Her lips curved into an amused smile. "And just what happened to get you so riled up?"

"Something," John replied, and the tone of his voice told Elizabeth that it would be best not to pry further.

"Okay…" She let the subject drop. "Where were you wanting to go?"

He shrugged. "Someplace where I'm not going to run into any trouble. Trevahlea?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't agree to this sort of thing, but we don't have any off-world activity scheduled for the next few hours… Do you _promise_ me that you'll be responsible and not be gone more than a few hour--"

"Thanks," he said, dashing out of her office.

"I want you back here in two hours!" she called after him.

It didn't take John long to get the puddle jumper prepped, as he didn't need any supplies for a long flight. Within five minutes he was in the Control Room, dialing the planet on the jumper's DHD. He watched through the windshield as the event horizon quickly filled the Gate's frame.

"Shield is down, Colonel Sheppard," the tech's voice came through John's headset. "You're free to go."

"Thank you very much," John said, before gliding the jumper through the Gate. Ah, Trevahlea. A lovely planet with a beautiful landscape. It had snow-crested mountains, flower-filled valleys, and streams and rivers winding like serpents through the lush mainland. John would rather be in an F-302, or some other, smaller craft, spinning and pulling off maneuvers to release his tension. The jumper was fine, but the inertial dampeners made the thrill of flying less exhilarating as he couldn't feel any of the g-forces.

He had been cruising at an altitude of about five thousand feet for a little over a half hour when he saw something fly across the windshield. '_Weird,'_ he thought to himself, but turned the shields on just as a precaution. His instincts proved to be right on the money, as a small explosion suddenly rocked the puddle jumper. The HUD indicated that shields had been diminished by five percent.

"What the hell?" All the inhabitants were supposed to be friendly. John quickly began scanning for life signs as the jumper was bombarded. On the large island over which he was flying, John approximated there to be at least fifty beings. Whatever the creatures were, they were good shots. The screen before him was now flashing bright red, informing him that shields were now at only ten percent. He would have cloaked after the first hit, but whatever was down there firing at him had damaged the cloak on the second.

Shields now fully depleted, John swore under his breath when a different warning suddenly began flashing on the HUD. "Drive pod failure?" he read aloud. With the jumper's energy draining fast, he now had no choice but to land. He had _tried_ to steer clear of whatever kind of IEDs the natives where throwing at him, but with so many of them attacking him, it had taken all of fifteen seconds for their assault to be successful.

John quickly decelerated and began decreasing his altitude, hoping to get as close to the ground as he could before all the energy ran out. He had managed to drop to fifteen hundred feet when the jumper completely shut down. "Fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be a bumpy landing," he muttered to himself as the Lantean craft began dropping like a rock. John tried his best to brace himself as the jumper picked up speed. Twelve hundred feet…one thousand feet…eight hundred feet… About thirty seconds later, there was a scraping sound on the side of the jumper and tree branches filled the window of the jumper. '_Trees…trees are good,'_ John thought to himself. '_They'll slow down the jumper and break the fall. Hopefully…'_ The trees did indeed help slow the speed of the falling craft, but when the jumper crashed into the ground twenty seconds later, the impact knocked John unconscious.

XXXXXX

When John woke up who knows how many hours later, his head was throbbing. He reached a hand up above his left temple and winced as he touched a deep, sticky gash. When he drew his fingers back, they were covered in blood. Wiping his hand on his pants, he attempted to stand up…and cursed at the pain that shot through his right ankle. Sitting back down and gingerly examining it, he couldn't tell if it was broken or just badly sprained. Other than those two obvious injuries, his entire body was sore, reminding him of the time when he was a young Lieutenant and had challenged his Major to a hand-to-hand combat match.

Hobbling over to the jumper's controls, he made sure that the locator beacon was working. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was. He hit the button to open the rear hatch, pulled his nine millimeter from his leg holster and cautiously stepped onto the ramp.

"Aieeeeeeee!" Without warning, something landed on his head and began attacking him with tiny fists.

John swore colorfully as the creature landed a blow to the cut on its prey's head. Reaching up, John smacked the beast with the butt of his gun. It let out a squeal and slid down so it was sitting on the human's shoulders and then proceeded to box his ears. John grabbed the thing by the neck and began throttling it.

"Yaaaaaah!" There came a loud multitude of war cries from the forest. John managed to yank the creature off his neck just as a whole herd of its friends burst forth from the trees. They were about two feet tall with dark, stringy hair and brown, leathery skin. Their faces were almost human, but their eyes were much narrower and their noses hardly protruded from their faces at all. And when the one in his grip bit his hand, John found out how sharp their teeth were.

With a cry of pain, John dropped the thing, then quickly fired a round into it before it had a chance to try again. "Pygmies…" he muttered to himself. "Why is it always pygmies?"

"Ichee, ichee!" cried one of the ugly little things and suddenly the whole mass of them began stampeding towards John. He quickly began firing, managing to kill fourteen of them before the magazine ran out. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to reload, as one of the pygmies jumped onto his hand and wrestled the gun from his grip. Before he knew it, John had two of them on each arm, pummeling him with their small fists, and one on his leg, biting him. The others quickly latched on where they could and though John fought valiantly, managing to wound a few of them, they quickly had him sprawled out on the ground.

"Ecky, ecky, aiya!" cried the biggest one, leaving the fight for a moment. The others screeched in agreement and continued trying to beat their prey into unconsciousness.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?!" John wondered aloud, managing to snap another neck.

The big, ugly one returned a moment later with a rock in hand. A big rock. "Eech, eech, eeee!" Its hideous face was the last thing John saw before it brought the rock down on his head.


	14. The Depths of Despair

**Five Years Old - May 2011**

_"And I'd do anything for you. I'd do anything just to hold you in my arms, to try to make you laugh. 'Cause somehow I can't put you in the past. I'd do anything just to fall asleep with you. Will you remember me? 'Cause I know I won't forget you." - Simple Plan, "I'd Do Anything" _

"Elizabeth!" Radek called, rushing into her office. Elizabeth looked up, hopeful. "They found him." She dropped the file she had been reading onto her desk and ran after him into the Control Room. The Gate was just being shut down as they got there.

"We've got to get him into the infirmary, stat!" Carson called as they wheeled the gurney down the ramp of the puddle jumper.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Elizabeth when she saw the bloodied figure being rushed to the infirmary. "Oh, John, what have you done to yourself now?" she whispered, then double-timed it down the stairs, Zelenka following closely behind. "Carson, what happened?" she asked anxiously, running alongside the medical team.

"I don't know Elizabeth," Carson answered impatiently, "but we've got to get some more blood into him and get him stable or we might lose him. I can't be answering your questions right now."

"Of course," Elizabeth said, somewhat subdued. She and Radek followed the team into the infirmary, where they were once again resigned to sitting outside the operating room, waiting and hoping.

XXXXXX

Elizabeth was pulled from her catnap by Carson calling her name. Seeing the doctor walking over to them, she quickly hopped up. "How's he doing, Carson?" she asked nervously.

Carson's expression was grave. "I have no idea what kind of creature attacked him," he informed them, "but he's lost a lot of blood. He's also got three broken ribs, a broken ankle, and a serious concussion." Elizabeth brought a hand up to her mouth. "We've got him on a breathing tube and he's stable for the moment." Radek released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Carson looked at the floor for a minute, trying to get up the strength to deliver the worse news. "Unfortunately," he said, finally meeting Elizabeth's gaze, "we haven't detected any brain activity since we got him back here."

Elizabeth closed her eyes, sucking her lower lip between her teeth and chewing it worriedly. Willing her "calm and collected" façade not to break, she looked back up at Carson, taking a deep breath. "Keep me updated on his condition," she said passively.

"You'll be the first to know if anything changes," Carson said with a nod.

"Radek," she began, "shall we, um…get back to what we were working on?"

"Of course, Elizabeth," Zelenka replied quietly, and the two of them left the infirmary.

"Well, Carson," the physician said to himself, "this day can't possibly get any worse." He turned to attend to another patient and suddenly had a thought that stopped him dead in his tracks. '_Oh, crap. I've got to tell Evie.'_

XXXXXX

It took Carson another hour of attending patients before he worked up the nerve to call Evie to the infirmary. "Captain," he said when she entered the room. "I need to speak with you about an important matter."

"I'm right here, Carson," Evie said, holding up her hands.

"Privately," he said in a somber tone. Evie looked at him quizzically, then nodded. "We can talk in my office," he said, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Once inside, with the door shut, Evie said, "What's this about, Carson?" At his reluctance to speak, her eyes widened. "Oh, gosh, I'm not pregnant again, am I?"

"I only wish it were something that pleasant," he answered gravely. He paused for a moment, then met her gaze again. "Evie…Colonel Sheppard has been injured."

Evie licked her lips nervously and began absently wringing her hands as she had a habit of doing. "H-he's not…dead, is he?"

"No." Carson shook his head and Evie sighed in relief. "But he's been wounded very seriously. At this point…we've barely got him stable," he added somewhat hesitantly.

Evie looked down. "Is he going to make it?" she asked quietly.

Carson sighed; he wasn't going to lie to her. "I don't know, love. I really don't."

Evie closed her eyes and continued fiddling with her hands. After an agonizing minute of 'what if's going through her mind, she looked back up at Carson. "I want to see him," she said in a voice just above a whisper.

"Evie, I really don't thin--"

"I want to see him!"

Carson could tell her voice was threatening to break. "Alright," he conceded. "But he's in pretty bad shape." Evie nodded solemnly, then allowed Carson to lead her from his office to one of the private rooms off the Atlantis infirmary. "Wait here just a moment," he said, knocking lightly on the door. "I think the colonel might already have a visitor or two." Evie nodded as Carson stepped inside and began talking with whomever was in there. She leaned her back against the wall and sighed heavily. And the last thing she'd done was yell at him…

Rodney exited the room a few moments later, giving Evie a sympathetic glance. "A'right, love," Carson said from the doorway, "you can see him now."

Taking a deep breath, Evie brushed past the doctor and stepped inside, hearing Carson shut the door behind them. She gasped and brought a hand up to her mouth when she saw her husband lying in the hospital bed. "Please, God…"

There was a bandage taped over heaven knew how serious a cut above his severely blackened left eye. His instability was evidenced by the breathing tube down his throat and the electrodes on his forehead. There were an infinite number of scratches and bite marks on his arms, ranging in severity from moderate to deep. The sheet had been pulled back after his temperature had flared and Evie could see the thick bandage around his torso, indicating broken ribs. A broken ankle or foot was the last injury she saw, the wounded limb propped up at the foot of the bed. The steady 'beep…beep…beep' of John's heart monitor was the only sound in the room as Beckett waited for her reaction.

Tears slipping down her cheeks, Evie turned to Carson and threw her arms around his neck. "There, there, love," he murmured, gently wrapping his arms around her and patting her back.

"Tell me he's gonna be alright," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Shh… Let us hope," he said in his soothing brogue. "Let us hope."

After crying in Carson's arms for several minutes, Evie managed to regain her composure somewhat. "Thanks," she sniffled.

"That's what I'm here for," he said gently.

Wiping her eyes, she looked at the large wet spot on the shoulder of his lab coat. "Sorry 'bout your sleeve," she mumbled.

"It'll dry, love," he replied with a smile as he reached into his pocket. "Now, I have other patients to attend to but you're welcome to sit with him a while, if you'd like."

Blowing her nose into the Kleenex he offered, she murmured, "Thank you, Carson." He nodded as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Biting her lip, Evie slowly walked over to the side of the bed, sitting in the chair that Rodney had pulled close. "Hey, baby," she said, voice still trembling slightly. She gently took his hand in hers. Trying to make light of the situation, she teased, "I see you managed to get your shirt off." Her smile quickly faded. "C'mon, John, you can shake this. You always do." The slow, steady beeping of his heart monitor wasn't very comforting. "And the last thing I did was yell at you…" she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Man, baby, I am so sorry." She squeezed his hand.

When more tears came a moment later, Evie didn't try to stop them. She brought his hand up to her face and gently brushed her lips over his knuckles. "You've got to pull through this, John," she murmured, her voice breaking. "For me…for Aiden…" She stroked his hand worriedly. "Please, John," she begged through her tears. "I can't lose you." Her stomach lurched at the thought. He _had_ to wake up. She didn't know what she'd do with herself if he didn't make it through this. The last time she had wanted anything so badly was when she first realized that John Sheppard was indeed worth the risk…

_Ugh. Evie hated these situations. The ones where her stomach tied up in knots. Where she didn't know what she wanted. Well, she knew what she wanted, but knew that she couldn't have it. And yet, here it was being offered to her. She reasoned to herself that she'd never really kissed the man. The first one didn't count because she'd had no say in the matter. Sure, she'd kissed him back, but if it had been up to her, it never would have happened and this longing within her would never have been stirred. The second kiss was pretty much all him, too, those few seconds in the infirmary. And now here they were again. They'd been talking for nearly two hours on one of the rec room couches, in their pajamas, as it was well past four in the morning. Finally feeling tired enough to sleep, she had said she was returning to her quarters. He had given her that look. That look that held her there, searched her eyes, and asked for all that she was willing to give. _

_Knowing that her innocent gaze did nothing to hide her own longing, Evie swallowed nervously. Her eyes darted for a second to his lips, his wonderful, soft lips. Returning to his emerald eyes, she could have sworn she saw them darken with desire. The voice of reason in her head screamed at her not to act on this as she slowly - oh, so slowly - leaned over to lose herself in a passionate kiss with this wonderful man. She paused, her lips an inch away from his, as emotion fought with reason inside her head. _

_Sensing her wariness, John didn't force anything, but slowly brought his mouth closer to hers. Reason finally defeating emotion, Evie turned her head away. "We can't," she whispered, looking down. "Someone might catch us." After an awkward pause, she mumbled, "I should just…" and stood to leave. _

_She had almost made it to the door when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "What if I thought you were worth the risk?" _

_Curse that man. Curse that wonderful, handsome, romantic man. With a muttered, "Oh, heck," Evie turned around and kissed him, their lips meeting in a fiery declaration of desire. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they each battled for control of the kiss. He drew her body against his as he slid his hands across her back, gently caressing. Evie knew he wanted something more than just a kiss, but she refused to cave to his-- Oh, **crap**. He was sucking on her bottom lip. She hadn't thought it possible to melt any further into his embrace, but when he began nibbling, she did just that. _

_A minute later, Evie pulled away, panting lightly. She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "I…" She had intended to finish with "shouldn't have let that happen", but didn't. She was terribly hot and bothered now, not to mention confused. Looking at him, she saw the same uncertain look reflected in his eyes. It looked somewhat more sated than it did a minute ago, but still slightly unsure. Having the sense to leave before she said or did something she would later regret, she murmured, "Goodnight, sir," before quickly leaving the room…_

XXXXXX

"Elizabeth… Elizabeth…" Ugh, that person needed to hush. Now she felt a hand gently rubbing her back. She opened her eyes and saw that her computer had successfully received whatever transmission she had been waiting for. It had apparently taken long enough that she had fallen asleep with her head propped on her hand. "Have you not been sleeping well?" Radek asked, leaning against the desk.

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes and stretched out her stiff arm. "No, I'm sleeping fine, Radek," she answered, still trying to fully wake up. "I've just…been kind of tired lately. I don't know wh-- Damn." She rubbed a hand over her forehead.

"Something wrong?"

"I'm fine," she said, waving off his concern. "I've just had a headache on and off all day."

"Have you gone to see Carson?" Radek asked, crossing his arms.

"No, but-- Don't give me that look. It's not that bad," she insisted.

"Elizabeth, _you_ are not the one who falls asleep at your desk," he said with a frown. "That right is reserved for McKay and myself." She rolled her eyes. "Now, do I need to have someone escort you down to the infirmary or will you go yourself?"

"Radek, really, I don--"

Zelenka took her hand and led her out of her office. "Sergeant," he called to Chuck, who was getting up from his workstation to retrieve another cup of coffee.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Would you please see to it that Dr. Weir gets to the infirmary and is examined by Dr. Beckett?"

"Yes, sir," Chuck answered with a nod, then gestured for Elizabeth to lead the way. "After you, ma'am." Elizabeth shot Radek a glare and then trudged off to the infirmary, pouting the whole way.

* * *

Today was Saturday. Saturday was pool day -- billiards that is. Every Saturday when they weren't off-world, Rodney challenged John to a game of eight-ball. Every Saturday John won. But not this Saturday. Not last Saturday either, because John had been in a coma for the past eight days. Rodney returned to his quarters after getting an update on Sheppard's condition, only to find the place full of children. Aaron, Aiden, Rachel, Caitlyn, and Dakota were playing their version of "War."

"Daddy, come pway wif us!" Dakota called.

Rodney wasn't in a very playful mood. "Not now, Koda," he said, brushing past her outstretched hand.

Sensing her father's depression, Caitlyn thought for a minute, then called, "Daddy, you hafta fiss our 'BPM'! Only _you_ can fiss it!" She pointed to the orange construction paper tube they had colored to resemble a ZPM. "It bwoke and da Waif are coming!"

On cue, Aaron and Aiden began chasing the girls around the room.

As she ran, Rachel reached a hand to her ear as she had seen her father and mother do and said, "Uncle Rodney, we need weapons!" as she had heard Elizabeth do.

Rodney had to smile. Then he sighed and walked over to their "ZPM" and began pretending to mess with it. "Oh, no. This is bad! Doctor Caitlyn, I need your help!" Caitlyn managed to dodge away from Aaron and ran over to help her father. The boys growled "ferociously" as they continued their pursuit.

When Aiden finally cornered Dakota, she made a gun with her fingers. "Boom! Boom! You're dead!"

"Nu-uh," he said, shaking his head. "I'm a Wraith! I'm all better again! Rowr!" He put his hand on her chest and cried, "Die, die, die!" Dakota squealed.

"We have weapons!" Rodney called.

Caitlyn quickly ran over and picked up a ball off the floor. She ran over and threw it at Aiden. "Dat's a dwone! Now you dead!"

Aiden made a show of dying and then fell to the floor. Rachel then grabbed the ball and bonked it repeatedly on Aaron's head. "You're dead, too!" Aaron stuck his tongue out at her and then yanked the ball out of her hands and began bouncing it up and down. Rachel ran over to Dakota. "My Daddy can make you all better!" she said with a smile.

"And _my_ Daddy saved us!" Dakota said, grinning widely. "Yay for Daddy!"

Rodney smiled. The little rugrats had actually succeeded in cheering him up.

* * *

"Dear, I think we have a problem."

Radek looked up from his riveting game of minesweeper when he heard his wife's voice. He'd been so wrapped up in the game he hadn't heard her enter their quarters. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned, as he put his laptop aside and patted the spot next to him on the bed. "What is it?"

"I'm fine," Elizabeth answered as she sat down beside him, looking somewhat dazed. "At least, I should be fine. Carson says that the chances of anything going wrong are very slight…"

"Going wrong with what, _miláček_?" he asked again, patiently, but starting to get worried.

"Haven't I said?" she asked and let out a humorous little laugh. "I'm usually so good with words…"

"_Miláček_, what _is_ it?" He was very concerned now.

"Radek, I'm…I'm five weeks pregnant," Elizabeth finally confessed with a sigh.

He blinked at her for a moment, then a broad smile lit up his face. "But, _milovník_, that's wonderful!" He leaned over and kissed her lovingly.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and returned the embrace for a moment. Then she pulled away. "Radek," she said, looking down, "I'm not as young as I used to be. I mean…people my age shouldn't be having babies… Biologically, I should have been finished a long time ago. Th-the risks of pregnancy after 35 are 40 percent higher an--"

"Carson is the best medical doctor in this galaxy," Radek comforted, cutting off her worries. "You will be fine." With a grin he added, "You will _both_ be fine."

Elizabeth sighed and gave him a grateful smile. "Radek?" she said after a pause.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

He smiled. "I love you, too, Elizabeth."

XXXXXX

Evie went through the next two weeks in a daze; everything was done on auto-pilot. She followed Donovan's orders without question -- and worried. She took care of Aiden -- and worried. She tried her best to keep away from the infirmary -- and worried. She vaguely remembered Summer doing something promotion-worthy and later watched Donovan pin the gold oak leafs on the now-major's uniform. She faintly recollected Michael telling her that his new baby was going to be a boy, Kyle Eric. The only thing she recalled with any clarity were the few updates that Carson gave her when they happened to meet.

Evie was grateful when Aiden finally asked where "Uncle John had gone to"; it gave her an excuse to visit her husband again. "How's he doing, Carson?" Evie asked worriedly when the doctor led her and her son into John's room.

"Well, there's been a wee bit of brain activity the past few days," Carson replied with a gentle smile. "That's definitely progress."

Evie nodded. "He's looking better."

"Aye." John's color had returned and the bruise around his eye was nearly gone. The breathing tube had been removed and Carson had also taken the bandage off his head so there were now only a few stitches there.

"Uncle John!" Aiden cried happily.

"He can't hear you, baby," Evie said gently.

"I'll wake him up!" Aiden volunteered, running over to John's side. "Uncle John," he called, shaking his father's shoulder. "Wake up, Uncle John!"

As if Evie's emotions weren't strained enough already, her son's naiveté had her fighting back tears.

Frowning, Aiden turned back around. "Mommy, why won't Uncle John wake up?"

She swallowed. "Baby, Uncle John is very sick right now…and he needs his rest."

"Then he'll wake up?"

"I hope so, baby." She turned to the doctor standing quietly behind them. "Carson…can you--" She swiped at her eyes. "Can you take him outside? I'll be out in a minute."

Carson gave her a knowing smile and nodded. "Aiden, can you come with me? I want to show you something."

"Okay, Carson!" Aiden said, taking the Scot's hand and following him out of the room.

Evie waited until the door had whooshed shut before speaking to her husband. "Been missing you, baby," she said softly, approaching the bed and gently taking his hand. "Aiden misses you, too." She paused. "So, Carson says you're doing a little better." A tear slipped down her cheek as she watched the limited amount of brain activity on the monitor. "You have to come back from this, John," she begged. "I'll do anything. I'll…" She inhaled shakily. "I'll quit the Air Force for you, John." Her hands nervously stroked his. "And I promise I'll never even think about pickles and ice cream again." This was an attempt to lighten things, but as that had been one of her pregnant cravings, it reminded her of her miscarriage and caused more tears to fall.

She gasped when she suddenly felt his hand tighten lightly around hers. "John!" She glanced up at the electroencephalograph and saw the lines dancing only slightly more than they had been earlier. She squeezed his hand again and felt the tiniest grip in return. "Oh, thank God," she breathed and felt more tears start cascading down her cheeks. Tears of sheer relief. She'd never felt _so_ relieved. Gently kissing his hand, she murmured, "You always did know how to make my day, John…"


	15. Why Carson Wants More Funding

**Five Years Old - May 2011**

_"This is what it means to be held, how it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive. This is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything fell, we'd be held." - Natalie Grant, "Held" _

A day later, as Nurse Emma was changing the bandages around John's ribs, she jumped when she heard a mumbled, "You sure are pretty." She whirled around and smiled when she saw that John was awake and giving her a lopsided grin. "Glad to have you back with us, sir," she said, then turned and called out the door, "Dr. Beckett! Colonel Sheppard's awake!"

Carson rushed into the room a few seconds later and sighed when he saw John conscious. "Oh, thank God." He commanded the rest of the lights on as he moved to examine his patient.

"Where am I?" John asked, blinking his eyes and squinting at the bright light.

"The Atlantis infirmary, Colonel," Carson answered with a relieved smile, "where you spend a good bit of your time. Glad to have you back with us, John. You really had us worried."

John looked up at Carson for a moment, as if trying to focus on the man's face. "Do I…do I know you?"

Carson's eyes widened in fear. "Oh, Lord, no…" he murmured. "It's Carson," he said, resting a hand on John's shoulder. "Carson Beckett." When John still showed no glimmer of recognition, Carson began to panic. He quickly tapped his headset. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth, I need you to come to the infirmary, stat!" When he saw the lips of his patient curving up into their usual smirk, Carson felt like recanting his Hippocratic Oath and knocking John into next week. "That's not funny, Colonel!" he reprimanded.

"Yo-you should have seen your face, Doc," John grinned. He started to chuckle, but immediately regretted it when pain assaulted his body. "Oww! Damn, that hurts."

"Serves you right," Carson sniffed.

Only a few seconds later, Elizabeth came rushing into the infirmary. "What's wrong, Carson? John!" She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him awake.

"Oh, nothing's wrong," Carson said, glaring at his patient. "Colonel Sheppard just thought it would be funny to try to give me a heart attack, that's all."

Elizabeth shook her head and decided she wasn't even going to ask. "How are you feeling, John?"

"A little sore," he responded as he gingerly touched the bandage under his shirt, "but ready to get up and do something."

"Oh, no ya don't," Carson said warningly. "You've got at least another three weeks until the fractures in your ribs and ankle heal."

"Three weeks?!" John cried. "I can't stay in he--"

"And," Carson stressed, cutting him off, "I won't hesitate to tie you to the bed if you try running off like you did last time."

Grumbling under his breath, John pouted and muttered, "Yes, Carson."

"Well," Elizabeth said, chuckling to herself, "I'm sure there are a lot of people who will be relieved to hear that you're awake. Don't tell Rodney I told you, but he's been very worried about you." She smiled.

"Really now?" John smirked.

"I'm sure he'll be among the first to visit," she said, gently squeezing his hand before leaving.

John sighed contentedly as he nestled back deeper into the pillow. "This is the part I love about being injured, Carson," he said with a smile.

"What, being cooped up in the infirmary with me?" Carson asked, checking his patient's pupils with that horrid little penlight.

"No, the visitors," John answered with a grin. "Everyone loves on me. I get chocolate and cookies and attractive, young nurses gushing, 'Oh, you poor baby!'"

Carson snorted. "I'm sure you'll have your fill," he said, putting the penlight back into his pocket and reaching for his stethoscope. "I wouldn't be surprised if the whole bloody colony drops by."

XXXXXX

"Colonel Sheppard," Carson said cheerily as he approached John's room, "you have another visitor."

"Ugh," John groaned and pulled the pillow over his head. He didn't want to deal with anybody else today, didn't want to hear any more "you should be more careful" speeches. "Send them away."

"Well, fine then," said an annoyed female voice. "I don't want to talk to you either."

John thought he recognized the voice, but with the pillow over his head it was hard to tell. Peeking out from under it, he saw his wife standing there with her hands on her hips. "Evie!" He quickly sat up, sticking the pillow behind his back.

Evie marched over to the side of his bed and whacked his shoulder.

"Ow!" John rubbed his shoulder and looked up at her, confused.

"Don't _ever_ do that to me again!" she scolded.

"What did I do?" he asked, incredulous.

"You had me worried sick!"

"Well," John said sarcastically, "you know how much I just love getting beaten half to death…"

Evie sighed. "I'm just so glad you're okay." Perching herself on the edge of his bed, she showered kisses upon him.

"Mm," John sighed as he brought a hand up to touch her face. "Gentle, sweetheart, gentle!" he admonished when she became slightly more aggressive.

"Sorry," she murmured.

Clearing his throat to get their attention, Carson spoke up, "Speaking of being gentle… Your fractures won't be fully healed for another three weeks. That means no strenuous physical activity for a minimum of that length of time, Colonel. Understand?" John just blinked at him, clearly not catching the doctor's meaning. Carson tried again, stressing each word, as if that made it any clearer. "No _strenuous physical activity_." That same blank stare from his patient.

"Just say what you mean, Carson," John said, annoyed.

The Scotsman sighed. "No sex, Colonel," he stated bluntly.

John's eyebrows shot up. "For three whole weeks?!" he cried, the horror of the thought evident on his face. Evie began laughing quietly behind her hand.

"Aye," Carson nodded. "I cannae have you stressing the fractures by exerting yourself."

"Yeah, but _three weeks_?" John whined.

Carson sighed and turned to Evie. "I trust _you_ at least can obey doctor's orders?" Evie smiled amusedly and nodded.

John rolled his eyes. "Oh, what_ever_," he smirked. "Give it two days and you'll be all ov--" Evie silenced him with another kiss.

Carson chuckled. "I'll leave you two alone," he said, closing the door behind him.

After only a few moments, John was reminding her again, "Gentle…"

"Right, right." Evie leaned back, resting her weight on her hand. "I just had to…prove to myself that you were alright." She looked down. "I've haven't exactly been sleeping peacefully the past three and a half weeks." John slipped his hand into hers.

Suddenly a thought struck him. "Oh! So, was I dreaming or did you say you'd quit the Air Force for me?" he asked.

"Oh. Yep. Musta been a dream," Evie answered quickly, nodding her head.

He gave her a wry smile. "Uh-huh…"

"So, how did you get yourself like this, anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

Thinking a quick '_lock'_ at the door, he made room for her on the bed and said, "Why don't you join me up here and I'll tell you." There was that trademark Sheppard grin.

Evie smiled and slid onto the mattress. John winced slightly as he turned on his side to pull her into his arms. He didn't mind the pain, though; he knew she needed this. "Missed you," she murmured, snuggling up against his chest.

"Well, I'd say I missed you, too, but since I've been out of it for nearly the whole time…"

"Just start your story, smart one," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I took a puddle jumper out to Trevahlea, right? And these freaking pygmies started attacking me! Why is it that after we fight, I always get attacked by pygmies?" Evie giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Anyways, so these pygmies come out of nowhere and start throwing bombs at my jumper…"

XXXXXX

It only took John nine days to convince Evie to break her promise to Carson. He assured her it wouldn't hurt him. They'd be gentle. …enough.

Unfortunately, they were both a little too intense, and John found himself limping down to the infirmary afterwards. "Hey, Carson," he said, approaching the physician. "I need some stronger meds. My side is killing me."

Carson sighed and walked over to the giant medicine cabinet. "What did you do to cause the extra pain?" Carson asked, searching for the correct pill bottle.

"I didn't do anything," John lied. "It's just hurting worse for some reason."

"I don't think so, Colonel," Carson said, selecting some high-strength pain killers from the shelf. "If you haven't been exerting yourself, the medicine I have you on should be enough. Now, what did you do?" He shook two pills from the bottle into his palm.

John sighed and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Carson, what do you think I did?" he asked sarcastically.

Carson frowned. "Not _that_?" John just looked at him, his silence admitting his guilt. "Colonel!"

"What?" John tried his best to look innocent.

"And after I specifically told you not to!" Carson cried, putting his hands on his hips.

"Ah, it didn't hurt anything," John said, waving Carson off.

"You don't know that," Carson stated, clearly agitated. "The fractures aren't completely healed yet. Do you _want_ permanent damage? You could be crippled if you muck up that ankle. And those ribs! You could poke a hole in your lung!" John rolled his eyes as Carson continued his animated rant. "You have to allow time for these fractures to heal properly. Do you know you could permanently injure yourself so that you can't be in the Air Force anymore? Is that what you want? I have half a mind to confine you to the infirmary for another two weeks!"

John's eyes widened. "No! Anything but that! I'll be good, I promise." He gave the Scotsman his best pitiful face.

"That's not going to work on me, Colonel," Carson said, wagging his finger in the other man's face. "What I can't believe is that Evie agreed to this!"

John smirked. "I can be pretty persuasive, Doc."

Carson grimaced. "I don't want to hear about it. Now, I'm only going to give you these pills if you _promise_ me you won't pull another stunt like this again," he said, holding the pills just out of John's reach.

"Yeah, yeah," the pilot said, reaching for the medicine.

The doctor withdrew his hand further. "You promise?"

"I promise!" John snatched the two blue pills from Carson's hand. Grabbing the fresh cup of coffee off Carson's desk, he downed the medicine. "Thanks, Doc," he said as he left.

Carson returned the pill bottle to the shelf, muttering, "Testosterone-driven fool…"

XXXXXX

**December 2011**

"Please?" John begged, giving Elizabeth his best puppy-dog face. "We'll keep Chuck and Alfredo away from the punch and they can run the Control Room themselves while we all nurse hangovers on Christmas morning."

Elizabeth sighed, trying to ignore the nagging pain in her lower back. "Fine," she answered. "Tell Radek he can spike the punch."

"Yes!" John punched the air with his fists.

"But please try to keep the festivities confined to the Hall," she reminded. "Some people will want to celebrate on their own elsewhere, and the children will just be a few rooms down. I _don't_ want them to witness any of the inevitable snogging."

"Yes, ma'am. Check ID's. Got it." He flashed her a smile and then turned to leave. Her whispered, "Oh…_shit_," stopped him dead in his tracks. Elizabeth didn't swear like that for no good reason. "Something wrong?" he asked, turning back to face her and not liking how pale she suddenly looked. "Elizabeth?"

"I don't…" Suddenly she gasped when felt a particularly strong cramp in her abdomen. "Yes, I think something is very wrong. Call Carson."

"And tell him…?" John didn't quite get it.

"That I think I'm going into labor!"

"Oh. Shit." He gently took her arm and began leading her to the nearest transporter. "Carson," he called over the comms. "Elizabeth is going into premature labor. We're coming to you."

Once they reached the infirmary, Carson whisked her into one of the private rooms and immediately had her change into a medical gown. "How long have you been having contractions?" he asked as he prepared to examine her.

"I-I don't know," she answered worriedly. "But I've been having what feel like menstrual cramps for the past five minutes an-- Damn, that's cold! And lower back pain for about an hour."

"Why didn't you come sooner, Elizabeth?" Carson chided.

"I'm sorry! I thought I'd just been on my feet for too long or something," she answered, biting her lip.

"Is she gonna be alright?" John asked from the edge of the room. "Is the baby alright?"

"We'll know more once we do an ultrasound, Colonel," Carson said as Nurse Emma prepared the machine. Suddenly, Carson glanced up and gave John a strange look. "Colonel, what are _you_ doing here? Where is Radek?"

"Who?" John asked as he worriedly watched Elizabeth.

"Her _husband_, ya bampot!"

"Oh! Uhh… Yo-you want me to go find him?"

"Yes!" Carson cried.

John nodded and rushed out the door, heading for Zelenka's lab as quickly as his feet would carry him. He entered the large room and panted, "Holy crap, Radek, you gotta come quick."

Radek was slightly annoyed that he was once again being interrupted; he'd been trying to finish this delicate project all day long. However, when he heard John pant the words "Elizabeth" and "infirmary", he worriedly pushed his work aside. "What is wrong? Is she alright?"

"I don't know," John replied, answering in a jumbled rush, "She's having her baby and something's wrong and you gotta come quick, Radek!"

Not bothering to put his shoes back on, which he had shucked some time after lunch, Radek ran down the halls to the infirmary, slipping and sliding in his socks the whole way.

When he reached the infirmary, he was quickly ushered into Elizabeth's room by a kindly nurse. "Elizabeth," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Are you alright?"

"Radek, there's something wrong with the baby," she said, clearly upset, as Carson and Emma hustled around gathering instruments on the other side of the room.

"Carson?" Radek prompted, looking at the doctor anxiously.

"She went into premature labor, Radek," Carson said, donning a surgical mask. "We did an ultrasound and it showed that the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck." Radek bit his lip. "If we don't perform a Cesarean-section, the baby will die."

Radek nodded dumbly and stepped back as Emma gently eased Elizabeth into a sitting position. Elizabeth's nails bit into Radek's hand as Carson administered the epidural.

"_To je ještě, miláček. Já ležet zde_," Radek murmured, bring his free hand up to gently stroke his wife's hair as Emma helped her lie back down.

Elizabeth nodded and squeezed his hand tightly.

* * *

"_To je ještě, miláček. Já ležet zde_" means "It's alright, love. I am here." 


	16. We Wish You a Merry Christmas

**Five Years Old - December 2011**

_"I don't want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need. And I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I don't need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace. Santa Claus won't make me happy with a toy on Christmas day. I just want you for my own more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you." - Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas is You"_

"He looks a lot like you," Elizabeth said with a smile as they gazed adoringly at their baby boy sleeping fitfully in the isolette.

Radek nodded and then asked, "Are you feeling better today, _miláček_?"

"A hell of a lot better than last night, but it still hurts to walk," she answered.

"Ah, Elizabeth, Radek," Carson said, joining them. "Have you named him yet?" He smiled at the infant.

"Lukas Aleksandr," Radek answered proudly.

"Lovely," Carson replied with a smile. "So, are you coming to the party tonight, Radek?" he asked after a moment. "I've got crackers!"

"Umm…" Radek looked at his wife.

"Go." Elizabeth smiled. "Have fun, get drunk. I'll be here."

Radek nodded and kissed her cheek before leaving with Carson. They made a quick stop at the doctor's quarters first, however, so Carson could change into full Scottish garb, kilt and all.

By the time they reached the Great Hall, the Christmas Eve party was in full swing. Christmas carols were playing, colored lights were hung just about everywhere possible, and alcohol-laced punch abounded. When Carson went off to find Laura, who had his crackers, Radek filled himself a large glass of punch and joined a cluster of his friends near the edge of the room.

"Oh, man! Speaking of electrifying," Rodney said with a huge grin when the Czech joined them, "Radek blew something up in the lab this morning! It was radical! In fact, I nicknamed him _Radek the Radical_!" He giggled and Zelenka just rolled his eyes. McKay was _always_ the first one drunk.

John laughed. "That's very clever of you, Rodney," he said sarcastically.

"Tell them what _your_ peers used to call _you_, McKay," Zelenka prompted, taking a swig from his glass of punch.

Rodney sighed. "'McStray.'"

Mary rolled her eyes. Not _this_ story…

"How'd you get that?" Ronon asked, leaning against the wall.

Rodney grinned lopsidedly. "Because I followed April Bingham around like a little lost puppy until she finally caved to my masculine charms and kissed me," he announced.

John nodded slowly and smirked. "Sure she did…"

"She did!" Rodney cried indignantly. "And I got mono and missed a month of school, so there!" He actually stuck his tongue out at Sheppard. "I'm sure _your_ nickname is no better."

John shook his head. "But we're not going to get into _that_…" He turned quickly to Mary. "What about you?"

"Oh, come on, the whole colony knows I'm 'Mary, Mary, quite contrary,'" she answered. "Now, give."

John sighed, then muttered, "'John, John the Leprechaun.'"

There were snickers and chuckles all around. "And why isss that, Johnny?" Rodney asked.

"I was kind of short in first grade," he shrugged. "And Billy said my ears were pointy."

"Your ears _are_ pointy."

"Whatever." John glanced up at the one person who had yet to include himself in the name game. "What about you, big fellah?"

Ronon snorted. "Solen used to call me 'Bonehead,'" he answered nonchalantly.

John nodded. "Pretty self-explanatory." Ronon gave him a wry smile.

"There you all are," came Teyla's voice as she walked over to stand next to Ronon. "The festivities seem to grow more wild each year," she said with a cheerful laugh.

"Hey, Teyla," Rodney called. "You got a nickname?"

"I'm sorry?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A name someone makes up to tease you with," John elaborated, making a sad face when he realized he'd emptied his cup again.

She nodded understandingly. "When I was younger the other children used to call me 'Nay-la' because I frequently denied their requests," she answered.

They just blinked at her. Finally, Rodney spoke up. "That'ss not funny…" Teyla shrugged, a gesture she had finally picked up from Sheppard.

John suddenly grinned when he noticed where Teyla was standing. "Uh-oh," he said with his infamous Sheppard smirk. "Hey, Ronon, look up." The Satedan glanced above his head and saw only a small sprig of greenery that had been hung on the doorframe. He looked back at Sheppard and raised an eyebrow. "It's called mistletoe," the Earthling explained. Now Radek, Rodney, and Mary were grinning as well.

"And why has it been placed there?" Teyla asked curiously.

"Well, it's a Christmas tradition," John explained, still grinning widely, "that when a man and a woman get caught under the mistletoe, they're supposed kiss."

Ronon's face immediately lit up and he smirked at Teyla, who merely blushed. "Well," she said after looking at the expectant faces around her, "I suppose if it is a tradition…" Ronon grinned and leaned down to kiss her, very gently placing a hand on the side of her face. But instead of it just being a "traditional" kiss, it soon became apparent that there was something there when Teyla, rather than Ronon, deepened the kiss, standing on her toes to reach him better. When there were hoots from the guys a few seconds later, Teyla released Ronon's lips, blushing deeply.

"See! That is _sssuch_ a better tradition than eggnog!" Rodney said, turning to Mary and kissing her senseless.

"Aww, look," John said, smirking at Teyla and Ronon. "You two started a trend."

Radek made a face as the two scientists became more involved. "Can you not take that elsewhere?" he asked, annoyed. Rodney just waved him off with his hand.

"Colonel Sheppard?" an odd voice addressed him from behind.

John turned around and saw nobody.

"Down here."

John looked down and saw Hermiod standing before him.

"I was told that you wished to see me," the Asgard said.

"Mary…why izzat lil' gray man nnnaked?" Rodney slurred and Hermiod shot him an Asgard version of a glare.

"My thoughts exactly," John said. "Which is why I got you a little present." He handed the alien the gift-wrapped package that he had been carrying around since the festivities began.

Hermiod accepted the gift and said, "I am afraid I did not get _you_ anything, Colonel."

"That's fine, just promise me you'll use this."

Hermiod nodded slowly and methodically removed the tape, unwrapping a pair of gray pants. "I…do not understand," he said, looking up at John in confusion.

"They're called pants," John explained with a grin.

"Oh! Ssso he won' be naked!" Rodney exclaimed.

"Yes, Rodney. Very good," John said patronizingly.

"I am offended by your gift, Colonel," Hermiod said after a pause.

"I am offended by your nakedness," John shot back with a smirk.

"Looosnup," Rodney said, lightly punching the Asgard's shoulder and nearly knocking the poor creature off his feet. "Have some punch!"

"I suppose…a small sample would not be harmful," Hermiod agreed.

* * *

Pop! 

"Oh, a pink crown!" Carson cried, retrieving the prize from his cracker and placing it on his wife's head. "For you, m'dear." He already had a goofy hat of his own. He laughed heartily. "You look like Cinderella!" Carson was another who didn't need much liquor to become quite drunk.

"Oh, my word, Carson!" cried Michael, who also proudly wore a ridiculous paper hat from one of the crackers. "I love your sword!"

"It's not a sword, ya timorous beastie!" Carson corrected. "It's a _claymore_!"

"Oh." Michael nodded. "So…why's it called a claymore?"

"Because it's made more from clay than it is from…weasels!" Both men then cracked up, Carson because he was drunk and Michael because he was Michael.

"Oh, look, Michael!" Carson said, pointing to a woman a few feet away. "Summer's under the mistletoe! Go kiss her before someone else does!"

Michael raised an eyebrow at the Scotsman. "That's not Summer, that's Dr. Biro."

Carson squinted. "Oh. Well… Go kiss her before someone else does!" He let out a laugh that sounded very much like a giggle.

Michael patted Carson on the shoulder. "I sure hope you have a designated driver," he joked.

"That's what m'darlin's here for!" Carson announced with a grin.

Michael nodded. "Well, you two have fun," he said, standing up to leave. "I'm going to check in on _my_ darling. She and Michele and Evie are facilitating the kids' Christmas party."

"A party?" Carson exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I love parties!"

"Clearly." Michael smiled and then turned to Laura. "You keep on eye on him."

Laura nodded and waved as Michael left. "So," she said, returning her attention to her husband. "What'd you get me?"

"Ah-ah," he said, wagging his finger at her. "Mum's the word." Suddenly, his countenance saddened. "Mum… I miss her. Wonder what she's doing right now…" Then, in true, inebriated mood-swing fashion, a tear rolled down his cheek.

Laura tried to quickly think of something to cheer him up. "…I can tapdance!"

* * *

"Go, McKay!" Campbell cheered as Rodney climbed onto one of the tables and began trying to sing and dance to a rock version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". 

"Just look at him, Mary," Kate said to her sister. "That's your husband."

"Yep." Mary grinned.

"Ssssix g-geese layinnnng!" Rodney slurred, and then began attempting to remove his shirt in a "sexy" manner. However, he soon got tangled in it. When he finally did manage to get it off his head, he tried to toss it at two of the women standing nearby but missed, and it landed in Lorne's face.

"Eww," the airman said, horrified, as he dropped the garment to the floor. Watching McKay drunkenly _trying_ to swing his hips suggestively, Lorne joked, "Rodney, you're a stripper?!"

"_Ecdysiast_, thank you very mmmuch!" Rodney called. Lorne just shook his head.

With all eyes on the inebriated McKay, no one noticed as Ronon took Teyla's hand and slowly led her away from the party.

* * *

As soon as John saw Rodney hop up on the table and start dancing, he promptly announced to Zelenka, "Okay, I am so out of here." However, his attempt to leave the party was delayed when he ran into the sweet Japanese scientist Miko. Having lost her glasses during the festivities, she apparently confused him for Rodney, the object of her affections.

"Sir!" she said, running up to him. "I have been looking for you all evening."

"Uhh…" John wasn't sure what to think, except perhaps that the young lady did look much more attractive without the thick-lensed glasses and with her long black hair let down for once. "You're looking lovely tonight, Miko," he said.

Miko beamed, grinning widely. "Thank you, sir!" After apparently having an internal debate, she worked up the courage to ask, "I would like to have a dance with you, sir, if you don't think your wife would mind."

John raised an eyebrow. "My wife?"

"Mary," Miko said, pointing to where the missus McKay stood several feet away, watching something with apparent interest.

"Nono, Miko," he said, shaking his head. "I'm Colonel Sheppard, not Rodney."

Miko squinted, and then her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! Forgive me! My eyesight is quite bad without my glasses."

John chuckled. "No problem. I just saw Rodney a few minutes ago…" He began searching the room. "Yeah, he's over there on the table." John couldn't believe his eyes. "Doing a striptease?"

"Where?!" Miko cried, whirling around and desperately looking for her idol.

John just laughed and steered her in the right direction before making his exit.

* * *

Mary simply giggled as she watched her husband make a fool of himself in front of the entire colony. She had had enough to drink that she was now mellow, but not quite drunk. Knowing that he wasn't the only one being stupid, she decided to let him enjoy himself. However, when he began fumbling with the button on his pants and heard the shouts of "Don't do it, McKay!", she quickly stepped forward, taking his hand and pulling him off the table. "Time to go, dear," she said gently. 

"Nononono, wha' you doing?" Rodney asked, tripping over the words.

"I think it's time we got you in bed, Rodney," she said, attempting to steer him through the throng of people.

"B-b-but," Rodney stuttered, then tried again, "But I'm having ffffun!"

"Yes, dear, I can see that," she said, stooping to pick his shirt up off the floor. "But I think it's bedtime."

"Ccccan I h've sss'more punch firs'?" he asked, gazing longingly at the punch bowl.

Mary did her best to suppress her smile; she didn't want to encourage him. "No, Rodney, I think you've had enough punch for one evening." Navigating past several bodies sprawled on the floor, she cautioned, "Careful, don't step on Dr. Zelenka."

Rodney squinted at the unconscious Czech for a minute, then his face broke into a grin. "Hi, Radek!"

"Come on, dear," Mary said, guiding him by the hand. She finally managed to get him to their quarters and into bed.

"I lllove Chrisssmass!" he announced, and then immediately began snoring.

Mary chuckled as she pulled the covers up over him. "Sweet dreams, Rodney."

* * *

As he was only slightly inebriated, Sheppard managed to make it to the room where the children were having their "Christmas Sleepover." Summer and Evie were sitting in chairs at one of the tables, talking, and the children were all asleep on the floor. The room was dark, save for the lights on the Christmas tree. John thought Evie looked especially beautiful in the glow of the colored lights. "Hey, there, pretty lady," he said in greeting. 

Evie looked up and smiled. "You had better be glad that Michele is asleep with the kids or you'd have some 'splaining to do," she said as she stood up and stretched. John just gave her a lopsided grin. "Oh, John," she frowned, walking over to him, "you're not drunk, are you?"

"No…" he shook his head slowly. "Not comparatively speaking, anyway." He grinned, recalling the spectacles he'd witnessed at the party.

Evie sighed. She knew how to sober him up in a hurry. She took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Faintly drunk or not, John snapped out of whatever stupor he had previously been in and wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her back with fervor.

"Ugh," Summer said from the table. "Quit that, you're making me miss Michael. "

Pulling away to look at her friend, Evie murmured, "Sorry. Hey, you think you can manage without me from here on out?"

Summer sighed. "I was about to pull out my sleeping bag anyway," she said, standing up. "Michele and I can handle them when they all wake up. You two go."

"Thanks, Summer," Evie said with a smile. "You're the best." Summer just waved her off as she prepared her bedroll.

"So," Evie said as they left the children's area, "you have fun at the party?"

"Hell, yeah!" John grinned. "Somebody spiked the punch, an--"

"Clearly."

John laughed. "And Rodney was dancing on one of the tables. And…stripping."

"Eww." Evie made a face.

"Yeah…"

"Anybody get caught under the mistletoe?" she asked curiously.

John grinned. "Oh yeah! Ronon and Teyla!"

Evie raised her eyebrows. "Really now? Do tell."

"Aw, you should have seen them! It was great. I pointed out that they were under the mistletoe and they both just looked at me. So, I explained that they were supposed to kiss and Ronon got this huge smirk like 'Hawt Daawg!' Only more…stoic and alien." Evie laughed at his choice of words. "Then Teyla kinda blushed and let him kiss her. But, man, they really got into it!"

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun," Evie observed with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am, I did." John grinned. "Sorry you didn't get to come."

Evie shook her head. "Oh, that's alright." Taking his hands, she began leading him down the hall to her quarters. "I thought we'd have our own little Christmas party." The way she said it and the twinkle in her eyes told him he was about to have way more fun than the party and the spiked punch. When the doors to her room whooshed open, he knew he was right.

Delicious-scented candles had been placed around the room, cheery Christmas music was playing softly on her CD player, and there was a large sprig of mistletoe dangling from the ceiling above her bed. He let out of one of his pleased growls that sent chills down Evie's spine and murmured, "This Christmas Eve just keeps getting better and better." Thinking, '_lock, lock, lock,'_ he pulled his wife into his arms and began quickly undoing the buttons on her sweater. "Time for me to unwrap my present," he grinned.

Not able to resist teasing him, Evie pulled away before he was able to remove the garment and began walking over to her nightstand. "Oh, well, if _that's_ what you want, I have it in the drawer." She smirked as she opened the drawer and began searching for the small, gift-wrapped package.

"You know damn well what I want, woman," he said, crossing over to her and scooping her up into his arms. Evie giggled as he carried her over to bed, gently laying her on the mattress.

Teasingly outlining his ear with her fingertip, she murmured, "You can be my Christmas elf."

John grinned, then pointed up. "Oh, look. More mistletoe. Elves love mistletoe."

"And I love elves who love mistletoe," Evie replied, pulling him into a searing kiss.

John's last coherent sentence of the night was, "Mmm, Merry Christmas to all…"

* * *

A/N: Wheeeeeeeeeee! This is _such_ my favorite chapter. :D Anyways, me and ze beta are taking a bit of a hiatus right now. At this point, I'm thinking I may not post at all during January, but you never know. I may get an _urge_ or something. ;) Anyways, don't worry about the story; I fully intend on finishing it, and have about, umm... ten other chapters written. :D Oh! Tigger, please call me when you get home. I need someone to save me from my grandparents and their evil dogs. Merry Christmas, everbody! Happy New Year, too! And remember, Jesus is the reason for the season:D 


	17. Daddy's Shoes and Little Hands I

**A/N:** I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! Did y'all miss me? I missed y'all. Thanks to this hiatus, we now have the next twenty or so chapters ready for y'all. Yes, I did say twenty. **:D** I hope y'all enjoy.

Special thanks must be given to Commodore Norrington, who is, without a doubt, the one thing keeping my brain from melting. Dahling, you're my better half. Seriously, y'all, clap for the woman. She's da BOMB!** :D**

**

* * *

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**Six Years Old - May 2012**

_"In my daughter's eyes I am a hero; I am strong and wise and I know no fear. But the truth is plain to see: she was sent to rescue me. I see who I want to be in my daughter's eyes. In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal, darkness turns to light, and the world is at peace. This miracle God gave to me gives me strength when I am weak. I find reason to believe in my daughter's eyes." - Martina McBride, "In My Daughter's Eyes"_

Michael smiled contentedly as he watched his little three-year-old girl dancing to the soundtrack of "Beauty and the Beast". Her brown eyes shone merrily and her raven curls bounced as she spun around and around. "Dance wif me, Daddy!" Skylar called, laughter in her voice.

Michael grinned and bowed exaggeratedly for her, then held out his hand, "May I have this dance, Princess?"

Skylar giggled and took his hands. "I wanna dance on your feet," she said, stepping lightly onto the toes of his shoes. She watched his feet for a moment as he danced her around the room, then she looked up and gave him that heart-melting smile that was so like Summer's.

When they moved over close to Skylar's Barbie dollhouse, she gasped and hopped off his shoes. "Daddy, wet's pway dolls!"

Michael winced as Skylar sat down next to the small house, smoothing out her pink dress in a lady-like fashion before selecting a dark-haired Barbie. Michael had never been good with dolls. "Oh, Skye!" he said, hoping to distract her with something else. "Did I ever tell you the story th--"

"No, Daddy," Skylar interrupted, putting her hands on her hips. "I don' wanna hear da story da ol' chieftain told you 'bout da gwate earfquake. I wanna play _dolls_!"

Michael nodded obediently and sat down next to her, grabbing a Ken. "Oh, Barbie," he said in a falsetto. "Where did you put my notes on the Noreen?"

"No, Daddy!" Skye said, all of her three-year old patience used up. "You're Ken. He's da huzpan and he's s'posed to tell Barbie how pwetty she is and den go make dinner."

Michael sighed and mumbled, "Summer's been playing Barbies with you, hasn't she?"

* * *

"Oww! Daddy, Daddy!" Rachel cried, running over to where her father was catching a few minutes of sleep on his bed. "Daddy!" she called again, but was still met with the sound of snoring. Frowning, Rachel began to shake him.

"I wasna speeding, officer!" he announced loudly as he jerked awake.

Rachel gave him a strange look, then glanced over at her mother who was playing a game on her laptop on the other side of the bed.

Laura just gave her five-year-old a shrug in reply and told Carson, "That ticket will have to wait, baby; your daughter wants you."

"What is it, Rachel-darlin'?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. As it was a Sunday and the infirmary was nearly empty, Laura had begged him to take the afternoon off. He had finally agreed, intending to spend the time with his family, but as soon as they had reached their quarters, he had collapsed on the bed. With a knowing smile, Laura had let him rest.

"Daddy, I cut my finger!" Rachel announced, holding up her right index finger, which was bleeding from a small paper-cut.

Carson smiled gently at his little girl. "I think I can fix that," he said, taking her non-injured hand and leading her into the bathroom. There, he retrieved a band-aid and antibiotic ointment from the first-aid kit in the cabinet. After tenderly washing the blood off, Carson "dressed the wound." "There we go," he said as he wrapped the band-aid around her small finger and then kissed it gently for good measure. "All better."

"Thank you, Daddy," Rachel said with a grateful smile. She looked down at the band-aid curiously as they left the bathroom. After a moment, she asked, "Daddy, why is blood red?"

"Well, there are different types of cells in blood," Carson explained. "The red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which is a protein that has iron in it. And when that iron becomes oxygenated, the blood becomes a brighter shade of red."

Rachel just blinked confusedly at her father for several seconds before looking up at her mother for a translation.

"Because it just is, honey," Laura told her with a sympathetic smile.

* * *

"Okay, Princess, playtime will be over when your bath is ready, alright?" Michael informed Skylar as he returned from starting the water running. He'd played Barbies with her for nearly an hour and a half.

"How many minutes?" she asked, putting a ball gown on her favorite doll.

"Until your bath is ready," Michael answered.

"But how many minutes?" she asked again.

Michael sighed. "How about two?"

Skye nodded and then asked, "You benember to do bubbles?"

"No, Princess, I didn't." When she frowned at him, he inquired, "Do you need bubbles?"

"Yes." When Michael raised his eyebrows at her expectantly, she added with her sweet smile, "Please."

Michael returned her smile and replied, "As you wish," as he headed off to add bubble bath to the tub. A moment later, he shut off the water and called, "Bath time, Skye!"

Skye giggled and came running into the bathroom. She quickly pulled off her dress and her Barney underpants and climbed into the tub. "Wook at all da bubbles, Daddy," she said, scooping some up with her hands. With an impish grin, she held her hands up and then blew on the bubbles, sending the foam flying into Michael's face. She giggled as her father gave her a wry smile and removed his glasses, wiping them off with the hem of his shirt.

"Let's keep the bubbles _and_ the water inside the tub, please, Skylar?"

She sighed. "Yes, Daddy." Suddenly she grinned and reached for the rubber ducky that was floating nearby. She dunked it under the water and squeezed it, sucking water into the plastic toy.

"That means no squirting me with the ducky either, missy," Michael appended, reaching for the shampoo bottle.

Skylar nodded and squirted the water onto her tummy as her father squeezed a small amount of shampoo onto the top of her head. "Make me a unicorn, Daddy!" she requested when she felt his fingers lathering up her hair.

Michael chuckled and twisted her sudsy, black hair into a point sticking out of the top of her head. "There you go," he said with a smile. "Skylar the Unicorn of Candy Mountain."

Skye giggled and then dunked her head under water, trying to slosh the shampoo out of her hair. When she brought her head back up, all her hair was dangling in front of her face. "I'm da baftub monstah, Daddy!" Michael laughed. Suddenly, Skye cried out and started flailing her arms. "Ow! It's in my eyes, Daddy!"

Michael quickly reached for the bath towel and stuck the corner of it under the faucet, turning the water on for a few seconds. "Just a second, sweetie." Then he brushed Skye's hair out of the way and gently wiped the soap from her eyes. "That better, Skye?" he asked when he was through.

She rubbed her eyes and then nodded. "Daddy?" she said after a pause.

"What, Princess?"

"I think you're da bestest daddy in all Peggysus," she announced with a grin.

Michael smiled. "That's only because I have the bestest daughter," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

* * *

"C'mon, Daddy," Rachel said, leading her father by the hand to the girls' quarters down the hall. Due to the limited number of rooms and the fact that Atlantean quarters were much more than simply bedrooms, the children weren't allowed their own places until they turned twelve. This was the room that Rachel shared with Caitlyn, Dakota, and Chuck's daughter Jamie.

Rachel led Carson over to the play kitchen and pulled out one of the little chairs for him. "You sit here, Daddy," she ordered.

"But darlin', I might break it," Carson cautioned, looking warily at the small plastic chair.

"But you have to sit down so you can have your tea, Daddy," she said, tugging on his hand impatiently. Carson sighed and acquiesced, just barely managing to squeeze his bottom into the tiny chair. Rachel pulled out two saucers and teacups, setting them on the prop-up table. Then she reached for the yellow phone attached the side of the play kitchen.

"Who are you callin'?" Carson asked.

"Cinderella," Rachel answered and Carson smiled as he watched her push the numbered buttons on the front of the phone; the girl had a very good imagination and loved to use it. "Hi, Cinderella!" she greeted the fantasy princess. "Me and my daddy are having tea. Wanna come?" She paused, creating the other half of the dialogue in her mind. "Oh, okay." She held out the yellow phone to her father. "She says she can't come because she has to go the ball, but she wants to talk to you."

Carson chuckled. "Oh, does she now?" He accepted the toy and held it up to his ear. "Hello, Cinderella. I hope you and Prince Charming have a lovely time at the ball." He paused for a moment. "Why, yes! I think blue would be the perfect color for your gown." Rachel giggled as she retrieved the teapot from the cabinet of the play kitchen. "Alrighty, then. Goodbye, dear." He handed the phone back to his daughter, who put it up and then reached for his cup.

Rachel pretended to carefully fill Carson's pink teacup and then handed it back to him. "Here's your tea, Daddy," she said with a smile.

Carson acted as if he were taking a sip and then complimented, "Mmm! Just like Mum used to make." He set the cup down and then leaned back in the chair. Crash! Suddenly Carson was on the floor amongst splintered yellow pieces of plastic. "Oh, dear…"

"Daddy!!" Rachel cried, gawking sadly at what was left of her chair.

"I told you I break things like this!" he spoke in his own defense. However, when he saw the upset look on his little girl's face, he quickly assured her, "I'll get you another one, darlin'. Alright?"

This seemed to calm Rachel down and she imitated her mother by shaking her head and stating, "I can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Carson wanted to know.

"Mommy says that you need to get over your chair phobia or we won't be able to take you out in public," she said solemnly.

He sighed, picking up a piece of the chair despondently. "She may just be right…"


	18. Daddy's Shoes and Little Hands II

**Six Years Old - May 2012 **

_"And when she wraps her hand around my finger, oh, it puts a smile in my heart. Everything becomes a little clearer. I realize what life is all about. It's hanging on when your heart has had enough. It's giving more when you feel like giving up. I've seen the light; it's in my daughter's eyes. In my daughter's eyes I can see the future, a reflection of who I am and what will be. And though she'll grow and someday leave, maybe raise a family, when I'm gone I hope you see how happy she made me. For I'll be there in my daughter's eyes." - Martina McBride, "In My Daughter's Eyes" _

"You have to kill the dragon, Prince Aiden!" four-year-old Dakota called from her perch atop her bed. She was wearing her purple princess dress and a plastic crown upon her head. Just below her, five-year-old Aaron was down on all fours, growling and snarling at Aiden, who was wearing a similar crown and riding a stick horse.

Aiden dropped the horse and withdrew the wooden sword that hung at his waist. "Step back, evil dragon!" he called, brandishing his weapon. "I must save the Princess!"

"Raaaawr!" Aaron said and then pounced upon Aiden. The two hit the floor and began scuffling.

"Get 'im, Aiden! Get 'im!" Dakota cheered.

After a minute, Aiden got the upper hand and made a big show of stabbing his foe, ending by sticking the sword between Aaron's arm and his body. Aaron clutched his "wound" and gasped several times before finally falling to the ground. There he twitched several times before finally "dying."

Aiden grinned and climbed up onto the bed just as Rodney and Caitlyn entered the girls' quarters. The astrophysicist watched the scene before him with amusement.

"You saved me, Prince Aiden!" Dakota declared gleefully. "Now kiss me and we'll live happily ever after."

Aiden made a face. "Eww! I'm not gonna kiss you!"

"But I'm the princess," Dakota explained. "You're supposed to kiss me and then put me on your horse and take me to your castle."

"No! Kissing is icky!"

Dakota frowned. "You're not doing it right!"

Sensing that Dakota was getting upset, Rodney decided to intervene. "Step back, Prince Charming," he said, moving swiftly to the bed. "I am Sir Rodney, come to rescue the fair maiden Princess Dakota!"

"I'm _not_ gonna kiss her," Aiden said resolutely.

"Then step aside," Rodney ordered. "You don't deserve her." Turning to his little girl, he kissed her cheek and was delighted by the smile that lit up her face. "And now, Princess, we shall go to my castle!"

Dakota giggled. "Yay!"

Rodney picked her up and set her on his shoulders. When Caitlyn saw her sister wearing her princess dress, she piped up, "I wanna play 'Pretty, Pretty Princess!'"

Aiden and Aaron looked at each other with worried faces; they did _not_ want to get drafted into playing that game again. "Run away!" Aiden said, tossing off his crown and sword. Aaron nodded and the two boys dashed out the door.

"Silly boys," Dakota said, shaking her head.

Tugging on her father's hand, Caitlyn requested, "Play with us, Daddy!"

"I have to go in just a little bit," Rodney replied. "I came over here to say goodbye."

"Just one game, Daddy?" Caitlyn begged. "Pleeeeeeease?"

He sighed and set Dakota down. "Fine. One game."

"Yay!" Before Rodney had a chance to move, Caitlyn grabbed his leg and slid down until she was sitting on his foot. She looked up at him and grinned.

"Oh, are you two going to be mud on my shoes again?" he asked.

Caitlyn nodded and Dakota latched onto his other foot.

Rodney slowly managed to drag them over to the coffee table, under which the games were stored. "Alright," he said, lifting up the foot that had Caitlyn on it. "Time to shake off the mud." Caitlyn giggled as he shook her and she let go a few seconds later and began searching for a game. Rodney did the same with Dakota.

"Let's play 'Pretty, Pretty Princess', Daddy!" Caitlyn said as she held up the blue game box.

Rodney looked at the game with disdain. "Couldn't we play something else? Something that doesn't require me to wear a necklace?"

"No, Daddy, we wanna play this," Dakota said, agreeing with her sister.

He sighed and sat down next to his girls, resigning himself to the torture of plastic jewelry.

Luckily for Rodney, Sheppard radioed him about five minutes into the game. "McKay, we're leaving in five minutes, so I suggest you take the princess crown off your head, or wipe the nail polish off your fingers, or stop doing whatever it is you're doing with your girls and report to the Control Room."

"I'll be there in a minute," Rodney answered. "Girls, Daddy has to go," he said, pulling the big, blue ring off his finger and removing the long, blue necklace as well.

"Are you going through the Gate?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yes. I'll be back either today or tomorrow, okay?" When he stood up to leave, the girls began giggling. "What?" he asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Nothing, Daddy," Dakota answered with a smile. "Have fun."

"Oh, yes, lots of _fun_," Rodney said sarcastically. "Bye."

When Rodney met John in the control room, the pilot began snickering. "What?" Rodney asked, giving Sheppard the same apprehensive look he had given his daughters.

"Nothing," John answered, trying to repress his smirk. "Let's go." As the gate dialed, the two of them walked down the stairs to join Ronon and Teyla.

When Ronon saw Rodney, he smirked as well. "Nice earring, McKay."

Realizing what he must have done, Rodney reached a hand up to his ear and felt dangling beads. He yanked off the clip-on earring and shoved it in his pocket, turning to glare at John. "You could have said something," he scowled.

John shrugged. "Hey, if you want to look like a gay pirate, that's your prerogative," he answered with a straight face.

"I wasn't a pirate, I was a princess!"

The rest of the team burst into laughter at that outburst.

"Oh, come on!" Rodney frowned. "I was playing that ridiculous game with Catie and Koda! You know what I meant."

"Of course we do," John grinned. "_Princess Meredith_."

XXXXXX

**September 2012**

_After a very intense and slightly inebriated night together that Christmas Eve, Teyla and Ronon had gotten up the next morning and gone their separate ways. No one knew what had happened between them, and they decided to keep it that way. They knew if Sheppard got wind of it, he'd try to play matchmaker. They still went on missions together, still sparred with each other, and tried to act as if nothing had happened. But it was no use; things **had** changed. Every time Ronon saw her, he forced himself not to remember what she looked like under her clothes, the way her skin felt beneath his hands. When they fought, Teyla tried to forget the feeling of his well-built body against hers and the sound of his lethally commanding voice in her ear as she shattered for him. _

_After two weeks, Teyla found herself nervously waiting for Ronon to enter the gym. He was going to spar with John, but Teyla had asked him to come a few minutes early. Lost in thoughts of what she was going to say, she jumped when she heard the door whoosh open. She gestured for him to sit next to her by the window and he did so. _

_"What's wrong?" he asked when he noticed her worried expression. _

_"Do you remember…a few weeks ago when we--" _

_"Yes." _

'A foolish question,' _Teyla thought to herself. _'Obviously he would remember.' "_My time has come and passed without event," she said, watching him expectantly. _

_Ronon just looked at her for a minute, then finally raised a questioning eyebrow. _

_"Ronon…" She closed her eyes as she sighed heavily. After a pause, she reopened her eyes and focused on his. "I am with child," she informed him quietly. _

_Teyla didn't know what kind of reaction she had been expecting from the Satedan, but for him to just look at her, silent and serious, wasn't comforting. She could feel her cheeks growing warm as she waited for him to reply. _

_Finally, he asked, "Do you want to do this?" _

_Teyla released the breath she'd been holding and inquired, "Do what?" _

_"Be my mate?" _

_Teyla couldn't stop her eyebrows from rising substantially. When she noted that his stoic expression showed no hint of jest, she quickly looked down, caught terribly off-guard; she had **not** thought of this scenario earlier when she'd tried to get up the nerve to tell him. After trying to gather her thoughts, she spoke up. "We were not behaving as we normally might," she said in reference to the alcohol they had both consumed on Christmas Eve. _

_Ronon just continued to stare calmly at her, his right eyebrow cocked slightly. _

_Teyla met his gaze again. "I do not expect you to participate in the life of this child," she assured him, then added after an unsure pause, "If you do not wish." _

_Ronon nodded, silent as ever, his eyes never leaving hers. _

_"You owe me nothing--" Teyla began. _

_"You're right, I don't." _

_Teyla looked startled, as much from his suddenly speaking as from what he said. _

_Ronon continued before she had a chance to react any further. "I don't owe you anything, but you want something from me." _

_Teyla hoped very much that Ronon couldn't see the deep blush that crept into her cheeks as he spoke. After battling several emotions for a minute, she stood up and said, "I am sorry for bothering you with this matter. Enjoy your workout." She started to walk away, but stopped when he called out her name. She waited an agonizing minute for him to speak, and when he did, his words made her breathing hitch. _

_"Maybe…maybe I want that too," came his low voice. _

_"Want what?" she asked, still not turning to look at him. _

_"What you want," he answered, and Teyla realized that his voice was suddenly much closer. _

_"How can you know what I want?" she questioned softly, trying to keep her cool. _

_He took another step closer and watched her shiver as his rough fingers gently brushed her bare arm. "Because I know you." _

_Teyla turned to give him a dirty look, but stopped when she saw desire -- love? -- in his dark eyes. "Do you truly know me?" she asked, taking a step back. "Or have you only **known** me?" _

_"Teyla…" _

_"Perhaps we should take time--" _

_Ronon cut off whatever proposition she had been trying to make by grabbing her shoulders and kissing her deeply. Quickly recovering from her initial shock, Teyla grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as his mouth roughly dominated hers. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Ronon lifted her off the floor and slammed her against the wall of the gym. Teyla whispered his name and dug her nails into his arms as he bit her neck just hard enough to leave a territorial mark. On the one hand, she was pleased that Ronon had taken the news so well. On the other hand, she sincerely hoped that Sheppard forgot he was supposed to be sparring today…_

"Chill, Doc."

Carson stopped pacing long enough to shoot the bigger man a glare. "Chill?! I'm bloody freezing!" he complained, rubbing his arms. "This is bloody awful weather for bringing a child into the world. The poor babe is like to catch its death of cold!"

When Carson started pacing again and rambling about how much better-equipped the infirmary was, Ronon frowned. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to shoot you."

"Oh, go ahead," Carson said sarcastically, "and put me out o' my misery."

"Would you just sit down?"

"How can you be so apathetic? She's _having a baby_!"

"Yeah. And?"

"And do you have any idea how many things can go wrong with that?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me," Ronon answered with a heavy sigh.

"Aye. If'n I doubted your promise that you'd shoot me, I just might," Carson said, continuing to pace. "I mean, as if this dreadful weather wasn't enough, Teyla isn't exactly as young as she used to be."

"Actually, _Doc_, she said it's the 'prime age for an Athosian woman to bear children,'" Ronon replied, making quotation marks with his fingers as he'd seen Sheppard do before.

Carson considered this for a moment, then began worrying again. "Still! It would be much safer for both of them if she was in the infirmary, not this…this teepee!" he insisted, gesturing to the Athosian tent in which Teyla was giving birth. "What's so important about this midwife ceremony that it can't be performed indoors in a sterile, _warm_ environment?"

Ronon dropped his head into his hands and groaned. "It's her baby, not yours. Now _sit down_!"

No sooner had Carson's bottom touched the ground than did the cry of an infant pierce the air.

"C'mon!" Carson cried, jumping up and attempting to pull Ronon to his feet.

"Slow down, Doc," Ronon said as he stood up. "It's not going anywhere."

Carson frowned. "You're no fun. Can't you at least jump up and down a few times like Michael?" When Ronon gave him a look, Carson mumbled a quick, "Nevermind," and proceeded into the tent.

To Carson's surprise, the tent was actually quite warm and cozy, thanks to a fire in the middle. He saw Teyla resting on a bed against the far tent wall. A few feet away, the midwife, Alaiya, was tenderly cleaning the baby. When she finished, the dark-haired woman snugly wrapped the baby in a hand-woven blanket and placed her gently in her mother's arms. When Teyla saw Carson and Ronon lingering by the entrance, she beckoned them over.

"How are you doing, love?" Carson asked.

"I am well, Carson," she answered with a smile. "We are _both_ well."

"A girl?"

Teyla nodded.

"Oh, she is beautiful," Carson complimented as he gazed at the baby. The tiny girl had dark eyes on her chubby, round face and she was blinking at Carson curiously. Though her eyes were clearly Ronon's, her smile looked very much like Teyla's. Carson marveled that the baby was already able to smile, but then he remembered that she _was_ an alien. The girl also had a good deal of her mother's auburn hair. Carson had the passing thought of what she would have looked like with Ronon's hair, and when he conjured up an image of the baby girl with dreadlocks, he nearly laughed aloud.

"What's her name?" he suddenly thought to ask.

"Terena," answered the low voice beside them, which caused Carson to jump, as he had forgotten the Satedan's presence.

Nearly as surprised as Carson, Teyla looked up at Ronon and nodded with a pleased smile. He had blended the Satedan words for strength, _teragesh_, and beauty, _lorena_. Teyla leaned forward and offered the baby to Ronon, who made no motion to receive the child.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asked.

Before Teyla could reply, Carson interjected, "Ach, ya _have _to hold her, son! She's your _daughter_!" When Ronon still didn't take Terena, Carson sighed. "If you won't, let me at least. May I?" he asked Teyla. The new mother smiled and nodded, placing the baby in the doctor's outstretched arms.

"Hello, there," he cooed in his thick accent. "My, aren't you alert for a newborn?"

Teyla and Ronon exchanged a look and a smile.

Terena watched Carson with an intent expression as he continued to talk to her. "Aren't you just the cutest wee bairn?" She smiled at the merry tone of his voice. "Now, there's someone special you should meet," he said, turning to the baby's father. Before Ronon had a chance to protest, the small, warm bundle was in his arms.

Ronon hadn't held her more than two seconds before he handed her back to Carson. "There. I held her."

Carson and Teyla questioned daddy's actions at the exact same time.

"What, you don't like her?"

"Is she not pleasing to you?"

Ronon didn't think there was anything wrong with little Terena, he just didn't have any use for babies. "I'll like her when she's old enough for me to teach her how to fight and shoot a gun," he answered in true Ronon fashion.

Teyla chuckled and Carson shook his head as he gently rocked Terena. "Don't you worry about him, m'dear," he murmured. "All ya have to do is smile at him and you'll have him wrapped around your wee little finger."


	19. Slips and Snips

**Six Years Old - October 2012**

_"I'm not a perfect person. I never meant to do those things to you. And so I have to say before I go that I just want you to know I've found a reason for me to change who I used to be, a reason to start over new. And the reason is you. I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know, a reason for all that I do. And the reason is you." - Hoobastank, "The Reason" _

Evie giggled as her husband rolled her over on top of him. They hadn't been able to find time for each other for nearly three weeks and were now making the most of Evie's day off. Arching up beneath his wife, John began leaving a fiery trail of nibbles down her neck, causing her to mumble incoherent things as her eyes fluttered shut. In the heat of the moment, she had a slip of the tongue, moaning "Colonel" rather than "John."

This brought to John's mind a distant memory, and when Evie leaned over to bite down on his shoulder, he made a far worse slip. "Ohh…just a little harder, Teyla," he moaned.

Evie's eyes snapped open and she jerked her head up to look at him. "What did you just call me?" she asked with a frown.

John's eyes widened in realization, but he attempted to cover anyway. "E-Evie," he tried to assure her.

"No." She shook her head. "You said 'Teyla.'"

"No, I didn't," he lied, and saw her eyes darken in anger.

"Yes you did!" she cried, hitting his chest with the heel of her hand. "Why the heck are you fantasizing about _her_ whil--" She stopped suddenly, looking off to the side, mouth slightly agape. When her mind reached the "only" logical conclusion, she looked like she might cry. "You jerk," she breathed, turning her glare upon him.

"Evi--"

"You lied to me!" she cried, thumping his chest again, harder this time. "You promised me that you never slept with her!"

"Evie, I-I didn't think--" he stammered. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't understand what?" she yelled, beginning to pound him with her fists. "That you cheated on me?" She continued to hit him, not caring that tears were beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

"Look, I'm sorry I lied, but would you just listen?" he asked, attempting to fend off her fists.

"And what could you possibly say in your defense?" she snarled through her tears. "You. Screwed. Her." She punctuated each word with a blow to his chest.

John caught one of her wrists in each hand. "Will you please just listen, sweetheart, it--"

"Don't you dare call me that," she ordered, yanking free of his grip and untangling herself from him. She grabbed her bathrobe from the swivel chair and pulled it around herself.

"Evie, where are you going?" John asked, hopping off the bed and following his wife when she began stomping towards the bathroom.

"Away from you!" she cried, closing and locking the door behind her. Once inside, she leaned her back against the wall, sliding down to the floor and wrapping her arms around her knees.

John could hear her muffled sobs through the door only a few seconds later. "Evie," he called, lightly knocking on the door.

"Go away," she sniffled, face buried in the plushness of her robe.

"Evie, will you just let me explain?" he asked gently.

"What's there to explain?" she asked, using the edge of her robe to wipe her cheeks.

Frustrated, John rested his forehead against the door. "It isn't as bad as you think."

Evie snorted. "Oh, really? Do tell," she retorted sarcastically.

"We… We only met three times," he admitted after a pause.

"And I'm sure you treated her each time to one of your night-long Sheppard specials," she accused venomously.

John frowned. "Evie, that's not fair…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're the victim here," Evie said, choosing her words so that they would cut into him. "I mean, with Teyla throwing herself at you every day and your prude of a girlfriend refusing to satisfy your sexual appetite, what else could you do?"

John rubbed a hand over his face. "You weren't my girlfriend then, Evie," he said quietly. In an attempt to redeem himself, he sighed and proceeded to tell her the whole story. "I'm sure you remember about eight years ago when I had that…_incident_ with Beckett's damn retrovirus?" No answer. "Well…when I wasn't quite myself, I kind of…grabbed Teyla and kissed her." He winced. "And after I was fully recovered…things just happened." Indeed they had, and faster than John had expected…

_Hoping that the heat he felt in his cheeks didn't equate to a visible blush, John began, "There is something else that I should probably apologize for…" _

_"Give it no further thought," Teyla said, cutting him off. _

_He nodded, relieved. "Good. I won't." _

_She smiled. "Nice to have you back," she said, starting to leave. Then she turned back around to add a teasing, "**John**." He gave a slight nod of his head as she turned to go. Teyla let out a quiet sigh of relief, grateful that he hadn't made a big deal of the kiss, not that she hadn't thoroughly enjoyed it; it had just been so unexpected. _

_Twirling the sticks in his hand for a moment, John called after her, "Hey, Teyla." _

_She stopped and turned to look at him. "Yes?" _

_"You up for a rematch?" _

_She smiled. "If you are sure you are sufficiently recovered," she agreed. "I would not want to stress you." _

_John grinned. "Bring it on." He was indeed ready, and they fought equally for several minutes. However, Teyla soon got the upper hand -- as she normally did -- and when John failed to block one of her swings, her stick connected harshly with his arm just above his right elbow. He cried out in pain and dropped his weapon. _

_"Forgive me," Teyla said as John clutched his arm. "I did not intend to hit you so forcefully." _

_"Damn, that smarts," he winced, rolling up his sleeve and gingerly rubbing the skin that was flushing bright red. _

_"I am terribly sorry," she said, examining the mark. "Is there anything I can do?" _

_"Yeah," John teased with a smirk, "kiss it and make it feel better." _

_Teyla raised an eyebrow, then she smiled lightly as she leaned over and gently kissed his "wounded" arm. "Better?" she murmured, and John could have sworn he saw a twinkle in her eyes. _

_"No…still hurts a little," he answered quietly, trying to figure out if he was reading her correctly. That same look coming from any other woman would have instantly been labeled by him as desire. But this was Teyla… _

_"Perhaps I can do something to take your mind off the pain?" she suggested, looking up at him. Okay, that one right there was definitely desirous. _

_John swallowed. "Ye-yeah. Perhaps." _

_Letting her sticks fall to the floor, Teyla placed a hand on the side of his face and gently kissed him. That was all the incentive John needed. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his body as he kissed her back deeply. _

_Throwing caution to the wind, Teyla began running her fingers through his hair, moaning softly as he showed her what she'd been missing. When he started trailing kisses down her neck, she moaned, "Should we not be worried that someone might find us?" _

_"That's what locks are for," he breathed as he gently lowered her to the floor, mentally locking all the doors to the gym…_

"I promise you, Evie, nothing happened between us after those three times," he said.

Evie sighed. "Then why didn't you just tell me when I asked?"

"Because you hate her enough as it is," John explained. "I didn't want you to go strangle her or something the minute you found out." Evie snorted. "C'mon, Evie, I'm a guy. Since when do we get it right the first time?" He thought he heard her chuckle. "I'm really sorry, alright? Forgive me?" Silence. "Evie?" Another pause, then he heard the door unlock.

He commanded the door open and saw her sitting with her back to the wall, arms wrapped around her knees. He sat down next to her but she still wouldn't look at him. "I really am sorry, Evie," he said gently. When she nevertheless said nothing, he murmured, "I love you," and kissed her cheek. "Forgive me, sweetheart?"

"Sing it."

"Sorry?"

"Sing. It," she repeated, keeping her eyes focused on her feet.

"Evie," he groaned. "Please, no…"

"You want to finish this, you have to sing," she said, delivering her ultimatum.

John sighed. "You're evil." He saw the corners of her mouth twitching in a desperate attempt not to smile. He cleared his throat and began hesitantly, "L is for the way you look at me." She couldn't help but smile now. "O is for the only one I see. V is very, very extraordinary." She let her head fall against his shoulder. "E is even more than anyone that you adore." Gently running his fingers through her hair, he asked, "Can I _please_ stop now?" Evie nodded. "Forgive me?" She nodded again. "Love you," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Love you, too," she whispered, turning her head to reach his lips. "And just for the record, I don't _hate_ Teyla," she corrected. "I just think she dresses kinda slutty."

"Ah. My bad."

"Now, what do you say we pick up where we left off?" she asked, eyes twinkling.

John grinned.

* * *

"Daddy!" 

"Yes, dear?" Rodney asked, not paying much attention to the child who had just run into their quarters.

"Can you play with me?" one of his eight year old princesses asked, tugging at his arm, though _which_ princess, he wasn't sure.

"I'm trying to work right now," he said, patting her head.

"_Daddy_…" she begged.

Rodney sighed, then suddenly an idea came to his mind. "Do you want me to teach you how to hack?" he asked.

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah!" She climbed onto his lap and said, "Let's hack Uncle Radek!"

Rodney grinned. "_You_ are an imp, you know that, Koda?"

The girl frowned and poked him. "_Dad_, I'm Caitlyn! The one with the short hair, remember?" she grasped a lock of her short blonde hair for effect.

Rodney chuckled lightly. "My mistake." He should have known even without the hair. Dakota wouldn't have been interested in hacking. She was the dress-up playing, tea party officiating, girly-girl one. Caitlyn on the other hand would rather learn to shoot a gun, as was proven when John had attempted to teach her and Aiden a few weeks ago. Needless to say, their mothers had been less than thrilled. Caitlyn was also the smarter twin. Not to say that Dakota wasn't smart, but Caitlyn had inherited Rodney's genius, while Dakota had gotten his sarcastic streak. Thankfully, both girls were fairly easy-going like Mary.

As he showed her the finer points of hacking, he had to smile in remembrance of how her hair had come to be so short…

_"Daaaaddy!" the little girl cried, running over to her father. "Play wi' me!" _

_"I'm busy right now, Caitlyn," Rodney said, remaining focused on his laptop. _

_"I not Ca'lyn, I Koda," she said, putting her hands on her hips. _

_"What?" Rodney looked down at her. "Oh. So you are. Well, go play with Caitlyn then. Please?" Dakota gave her father the puppy-dog look that she had inherited from her mother. "Why don't you go…do each other's hair?" Rodney suggested, annoyed. _

_"Otay!" Dakota smiled and ran off to find her sister. "Ca'lyn, Ca'lyn!" She took her sister by the hand and led her over to the bed. "Sit down," she ordered. Caitlyn did as she was told. "I gon' do your hair, otay?" she explained, lovingly patting one of her sister's tiny pigtails. _

_"Otay," Caitlyn said with a nod. _

_"I be wight back," Dakota said, and then ran into the bathroom, returning a minute later with a brush and a pair of scissors. "Don' move, Ca'lyn," she said, brandishing the shiny metal scissors. She pretended to cut her sister's hair for a minute, then, not being able to resist the urge, snipped off Caitlyn's right pigtail. "Oops!" She giggled as she picked up the fallen braid and dropped it into her sister's lap. _

_"Oh, no!" Caitlyn cried, reaching up to feel where her sister had butchered her hair. "Daaaaaaaaaaddyyyyyyyy!" she shrieked. _

_"Inside voices!" Rodney reprimanded, then muttered to himself, "Good grief." _

_Picking up her tiny pigtail, Caitlyn ran over to her father, tears streaming down her face. "Daddy, she cut my pigtail! Waaaah!" _

_"I didn' mean to!" Dakota fibbed. "I didn' mean to!" _

_"Fiss it, Daddy, fiss it!" Caitlyn urged, thrusting the pigtail at her father. _

_"For pete's sake, why can't this happen when your mother's here?" Rodney lamented. "I'm sorry, Catie-girl, I can't fix it." _

_"Waaaaaaaah!" _

_"But if we cut off the other one, we can make it look better," he explained quickly. _

_"Nooo!" Caitlyn cried, clutching her remaining pigtail and backing away. _

_Rodney rolled his eyes. "But if you only have one, it looks silly." _

_"You wooks siwwy!" she shot back. _

_"Sweetie, I promise, if you'll just let Daddy cut it, he can make it look better," he said, prying the scissors from Dakota's fingers. _

_"Pwomise?" Caitlyn asked, slowly letting go of her hair. _

_"I promise. Now come sit in Daddy's lap." Caitlyn approached his chair and Rodney picked her up, gently setting her down in front of him. Cutting off her other pigtail, he then took the brush from Dakota and began running it through Caitlyn's soft blonde hair. "Now, if I just take a little bit off here…and snip that off there…" _

_XXXXXX_

_"Sorry it took so long," Mary said as she entered their quarters. "Carson insisted on giving me an eye exam as well as a physical." She kissed her husband in greeting. "So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?" _

_"Well…" _

_"Mommy, mommy!" Dakota ran up to her mother. _

_"Hey, baby!" She picked up her daughter and kissed her cheek. "Did you have fun with Daddy?" _

_Dakota nodded. "I' was funny. He cut Ca'lyn's hair." She giggled. _

_"He did what?" Mary asked, turning to stare at Rodney. Looking for all the world like a deer caught in the headlights, all Rodney could do was shrug and point at Caitlyn, who was asleep on the bed. _

_Following his finger, Mary's eyes widened when she saw her daughter's significantly shorter hair. Setting Dakota down, she walked over to the sleeping angel. "Rodney, what on earth did you do?" she asked, softly touching her daughter's cropped locks. _

_"I had to!" Rodney said in self-defense. "Dakota cut off one of her pigtails!" _

_"Tatta'-tale!" Dakota cried, sticking out her tongue at her father. _

_Looking over the damage for a moment longer, Mary realized that Rodney didn't actually do such a bad job. "Well…it doesn't look terrible," she conceded. "Just…different, I suppose." Rodney sighed, relieved. "Nice save, dear," she said, slipping her arm around his waist… _

As Caitlyn had ended up liking her short hair and it proved easier to tell the girls apart, her hair had stayed that length since then.

"We're in!" the girl cried gleefully.

"Now, let's send him a little message," Rodney said with a grin. "Any ideas?"

Caitlyn nodded and took control of the keyboard. Finished, she hit enter and leaned back against her father. "Poor Uncle Radek," she said with a giggle, then turned around and gave Rodney a hug. "I love you, Daddy."

Rodney smiled. "I love you, too."

* * *

When Radek heard his computer spouting off three different error messages at once, he quickly hurried over to his laptop. He muttered several curses in Czech when he saw a message in bold, capital letters, "You've been hacked! Neener, neener! Courtesy of Caitlyn and Rodney."

* * *

**A/N**: I sorry 'bout the sex, Beffny, but the Sheyla side of me demanded satisfaction. ;) Winter Camp, here we coooooooooooooome! 


	20. Your Worst Nightmare

Warning: This subplot deals with some very strong adult themes, though I have handled them with sensitivity.

* * *

**Seven Years Old - 2013**

_"This childlike monster caresses your back. You hear the peals of laughter. Do you feel you are submerged in acid bath? … Have you now descended to the bowels of your fear, sensing it's the end? You've surrendered to the whims of this monster. Your will has shattered, betrayed by innocence." - Android Lust, "Cherished Agony" _

"Lieutenant!"

"Sir?" John had to strain to hear the voice of his CO, Major Tyler Walton, over the deafening noise of gunshots and explosions around him.

"As soon as Lewis gets back here, all those Guard in that building are getting pumped full of lead," Walton called from his position behind the barricade several feet away from John. "You see anyone come out of there, you shoot 'em. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" John answered, shifting slightly so as to get a better aim at the rear exit of the building. No sooner had he said this than two men with AK-47's burst forth from the building, firing on the Americans' position. However, as the Iraqis had no cover, Walton and Sheppard easily picked them off.

John's heart nearly skipped a beat when he suddenly heard footsteps only feet away from his hiding place. Glancing behind him, he saw one of the Fedayeen, scarf covering his face, weapon in hand, seemingly coming straight towards him. Whirling around, John fired off several shots into the man's chest. With a startled cry, the man fell forward into the entrenchment beside Sheppard. Pushing the body away with his foot, John felt like vomiting when he saw the man's face. The cloth across his head had come undone and John could now see that he had accidentally shot his partner. "God, no!" he cried. His weapon thudding to the ground, he backed away from the blood that was slowly beginning to pool near his feet.

"Lieutenant, what the hell did you do?" Walton roared, having examined the situation when Sheppard failed to return to his position.

Horrified, John looked up at his CO. Finding his voice, he managed, "I-I thought he was one of them, sir."

Walton cursed under his breath, then sighed in resignation and reminded Sheppard, "This is war, Lieutenant. In war there are casualties." He paused for a moment as John turned to looked at his fallen compadre. "Now cover me."

In shock, John just continued to stare at his friend, shot and killed by _his_ weapon.

"Lieutenant, get your ass over here and cover me!"

The nearby explosions and self-loathing in his mind nearly drowning out Walton's yelling, John could not tear his eyes from Lewis's still body.

"Lieutenant!"

"Lewis!" John was covered in a cold sweat as he sat up in bed with a jolt. Panting, he tried to erase the image of Lewis from his mind, but could not.

Evie stirred from her sleep with a gentle groan. Even in her barely-awake state, she could tell that her husband was upset. Sitting up beside him, she placed a hand on his arm and murmured, "John, what's wrong?"

"I didn't mean to kill him," he whispered.

"What are you talking about?" she asked sleepily.

"Lewis," he answered, starting off into space. "I…I shot him."

"It was just a bad dream, baby," she comforted, gently rubbing his arm.

"No!" he cried, jerking away. "It wasn't! I shot him… Twenty-two years ago…" He squeezed his eyes shut, but the image refused to go away, forever burned into his mind. He swore and opened his eyes. He turned to look at his wife and his voice broke as he managed, "I killed him, Evie."

With sympathetic eyes, Evie reached a hand out and gently touched the side of his face. Still breathing heavily, John brought his hand up to squeeze hers. In the dim light shining through the window she could see unshed tears filling his eyes. Scooting closer to him, she lay down and pulled him into her arms. "C'mere, baby," she soothed, gently rubbing his back.

"I can't get him out of my head," he choked into her shoulder as he held her tightly. And though his weeping was silent, Evie could feel the wetness of his tears on her skin.

Gently kissing his forehead, Evie said quietly, "It was an accident, John; you can't keep blaming yourself."

"He…he had a f-fianceé ," he whispered between ragged breaths.

Evie closed her eyes sadly. And she had thought her baggage was bad. "Don't think about it," she murmured, kissing him again.

She continued to rub his back until she felt his hold on her slowly relax. Glancing over at the clock, she decided that she had better return to her quarters. She hadn't meant to fall asleep in his room, but after being thoroughly drained she'd collapsed in his arms and not moved until he had inadvertently woken her up. She gently slid out of his embrace, careful not to wake up him, and snuck back to her own quarters.

XXXXXX

"Colonel Sheppard," Elizabeth called over the comms. "Please report to my office immediately."

Sheppard left his tray of half-eaten waffles and quickly made his way to Weir's office. "You wanted to see me?" he asked, closing the glass door behind him.

Her expression was less than perky. "We just got a radio message from the Shim-ka," she informed him. "Apparently one of their lesser enemies is attempting a full-scale attack."

John nodded slowly. "What's the damage so far?"

"Well, the small band of Tenanians launched a biological weapon that severely decimated the Shim-ka military force. Those that are left are just barely managing to hold the Tenanians at bay."

"So, let's get a few teams together and go help," John said, as if the solution should have been obvious. "That is, if there's no harmful residual effects from the bioweapon."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Nek'aa said that they've eradicated the disease. They just lost hundreds of lives before finding an antidote."

John nodded. "So…?"

"So, I want you to take a handful of our pilots to aid in their fight," Elizabeth ordered. "You all may go as soon as you're ready."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, standing to leave.

XXXXXX

Sheppard selected Lorne, McKenzie, Adams, Summer, and Evie to accompany him to M8A-379. While Lorne's men had never before flown in the kree-sha, Shim-ka flight simulators, Sheppard was confident that they would learn quickly. They hadn't made it five feet from the Stargate, however, before they were ambushed by nearly a dozen men. Summer was the first one down, with a dart to the back of her neck. John attempted to drag the fallen Major out of the line of fire, but only succeeded in getting himself shot as well. He collapsed next to her, the sedative in the dart knocking him out almost instantly.

The others tried their best to take cover, but the Gate was ringed by more foliage than trees. They managed to kill several of their attackers, but one by one the Atlanteans fell. Thinking it wise to play dead, McKenzie dropped just after Lorne, although he hadn't been shot. He waited to see what these men wanted with them.

One of the tall, thick brutes pulled a paper out of his pocket. He read it over, then pointed first at John's prone form, then Evie's. Two of the other thugs hoisted the designated prisoners over their shoulders as the leader proceeded to dial up the Gate. McKenzie watched carefully, trying his best to burn the symbols into his mind. When he couldn't see the last one on the far left side of the DHD, he raised his head ever so slightly. Unfortunately, one of the men saw him, and promptly fired two darts into his shoulder. McKenzie's head fell back to the ground, but he had seen the seventh symbol.

XXXXXX

Heaven knows how many hours John was out, but when he woke up, he felt drugged. Very drugged. He was surprised at how weak he was when he tried to move his arms and found that he could not. A few more moments of consciousness and he realized that he was bound. Again. And of course, his weapons and gear had been removed. He sighed and looked around the room. No windows, a door each on the right and left walls. And another person was curled up beside him. He nudged the other body with his leg.

"L've me 'lone, noodl'-head," the woman mumbled.

"Evie?" he wondered softly.

"Yes…" She fumbled with her bonds for a moment, then asked, "Why can't I move?"

"No idea, but it could have something to do with the ropes around your wrists," he answered sarcastically.

Evie struggled to sit up and finally managed, leaning over to rest her head on John's shoulder. "The last thing I remember…was getting shot with something," she muttered. He nodded. "Hey!" she suddenly called loudly. "We're awake now! You can come and do your stupid bad guy speech anytime!"

John chuckled and shook his head.

Evie's hollering apparently worked, as the door on the right opened and two very large men entered the room. "Oh, look, dear," she said to her husband. "Henchmen!"

"And to which evil, threatening bad guy to do you two belong?" John asked mockingly.

"Our master is the leader of the Tenanians," the taller man answered.

"Ah." John nodded. "And just what does 'Master Tena' want with us?"

"_That_, Colonel Sheppard, will be revealed to you in due time," came a familiar male voice from the next room. The man stepped through the doorway and into the room with his captives. Both hostages quickly looked the man over; both shuddered in recognition. Tall and skinny. Wavy brown hair. Deep-set jade eyes behind a pair of glasses.

"Marshala," John growled.

"So good to see you again, Colonel," Kenno said with a wicked smile. "Looks like your arm has mended nicely. I should have done a better job on you two last time. But don't worry; it's not a mistake I intend to make again." His lascivious gaze roaming over her made Evie shudder. Kenno jerked his head in the direction of the other room, and one of the big men grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her to her feet before dragging her towards the other room.

"Let go of me!" she grunted, willing her legs to kick out and snapping with her teeth at her captor. Alas, the man had at least one hundred pounds of muscle more than she and Evie was quickly yanked into the room. The room had only one piece of furniture and when she saw it, her stomach flip-flopped. When Kenno started moving towards her, she instinctively cried out for her husband. "John!"

"Evie!" John struggled weakly to stand up, but to no avail. "If you hurt her, Marshala, I swear to God, I'll kill you!" he threatened menacingly.

"Don't worry, Colonel," Kenno called, running his hands slowly over his prisoner. "I promise to leave her alive." He chuckled sadistically. "In fact, why don't you come watch the show? Umar, bring him!" His last command was partly muffled by Evie's cries of protest.

Umar grabbed Sheppard and jerked him up, then roughly shoved his hostage toward the open doorway. Evie's cries were quickly fueling his anger. "Stop it!" she shouted, and John could hear the sob in her voice. "Please, don't! _John_!"

When John, still very much restrained by Umar, finally made it to the door, the scene wrenched his heart. Kenno had Evie's wrists restrained to the headboard of a small bed, her pants and jacket removed and shirt slashed open. "Marshala, you bastard!" John roared, struggling valiantly against Umar despite his drugged state. "Don't you touch her!"

"Oh, but Colonel," Kenno said sweetly as he prepared himself, "this will be fun!"

Evie looked over at John, the terror evident on her tear-stained face. "John," she whispered.

"Evie, I…" Damn it, he hated being helpless! He struggled against his restraints until he could feel blood trickling down his hands. Unfortunately, all his act gained him was a clout on the head from Umar.

Taking a step toward the bed, Kenno's knife finished its task and Evie's last protest of "Please, stop" was cut off by her cry of pain as Kenno took her by force. John began yelling curses at the man, but Kenno didn't seem to care. "John!" Evie screamed through her sobs. "John, make it stop!" she begged.

Now filled with rage, John turned on Umar and began attacking him, kicking feebly and sinking his teeth into the other man. Just when he felt his bonds beginning to loosen, there was a resounding crack, as the man who had previously been holding Evie brought the butt of his weapon down on John's skull. The last thing he heard was a final desperate cry of "John, please!" as he slumped to the ground.

XXXXXX

When John woke up, he was in a dark cell. Glancing around, he realized it was some sort of penitentiary. Small jail cells lined two of the walls, with a tiny window at each end, faint sources of light. There was only one door, on the far wall. John also noted that he was alone in his prison. And his head hurt like hell. He attempted to bring a hand up to his throbbing skull, but was hindered by heavy chains on his wrists. He was chained to the wall, the chains seemingly long enough for him to move about the entire cell.

Suddenly, a flood of memories assaulted him. The ambush. Being taken prisoner. Marshala. Evie. "Evie!" he cried, remembering her harsh treatment. When he heard no response, not even that of a guard, he sank back down. He silently cursed himself for allowing his team to fall into this trap. '_Stupid, John,'_ he berated himself. '_Stupid, stupid, John. And now that bastard's got her!'_ If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. '_Anything more,'_ he realized with revulsion. Deep in his thoughts of self-hatred, he barely caught the sound of the door creaking open.

John quickly glanced up and felt relief flood him when he saw Evie being dragged down the row of cells. Her shirt was in shreds, her arms were scratched, her hair was tangled, and her pants had several bloodstains on them. She was roughly thrown into the cell at the opposite end of the room and chained to the wall as well. Her captor left her crumpled on the floor, and he quickly returned through the door, locking it behind him.

"Evie!" John called, moving quickly to the bars of the cell wall. "Evie, are you alright?"

Ashamed, Evie turned away from John, curling herself into a tight ball. She began sobbing quietly into her tattered sleeve. "We'll get out of here, Evie, I promise you," he said gently. "You hear me?" John got no reply; Evie just shivered and hugged herself tighter.


	21. Mommy, Why are you Crying?

**Seven Years Old - 2013**

"_When the world is on your case and you don't have a place to run, if the storm keeps getting stronger and you cannot see the sun, I will rescue you. I will rescue you. I will shelter you from the rain. I will dry your tears, cast away your fears, and bring you to brighter days. Whenever you're lost and confused, like a fairy tale come true, I will rescue you." - PlusOne, "I Will Rescue You" _

John was awoken by the sound of someone shouting his name. "Saturday, no school," he mumbled, rolling over. When his name was called again, he recognized the voice, and snapped awake. "Evie!" He quickly sat up, and saw Evie struggling with one of the guards who was currently trying to drag her down the corridor.

"Let go of me!" she cried, attempting to kick the man in the shins, but her captor merely grabbed her around the waist and slung her over his shoulder, preventing her from doing anything more than pounding on his back with her fists.

John rushed to the front of his cell as Evie was dragged down the pathway. "Where are you taking her?" he growled.

"The Master wants to have the woman once more before he takes care of you," the thug answered with a sadistic grin.

Evie gasped. Not again. "John!" She managed to catch his outstretched hand as she was carried past his cell.

John opened his mouth to say something, but no words would come. His fist tightened around the metal bar as Evie's hand was pulled out of his. Once he got out of this cell -- and he _would_ get out -- that bastard was as a good as dead.

Evie continued to fight(as well as she could) the rest of the way from the small prison across the large clearing to Kenno's quarters. By the time they reached the building, her clothes as well as her captor's were damp, as it was starting to rain. Evie was brought into the same small room as yesterday, and deposited on the same bed. The thug secured her hands and then stood guard by the door.

"Good morning, Ugdor," Kenno greeted all-too-cheerily as he walked into the room a few minutes later. "You may leave us now." With a nod, the man left, shutting and locking the door behind him. Kenno slowly approached the bed. "And how are you this fine morning, katchka?" he murmured, using a word from his native tongue that loosely translated to "pet." When Evie made no reply and refused to look at him, he reached his hand out to touch the side of her face.

Evie snapped angrily at her attacker, clamping her teeth down on his hand. Kenno cried out in pain and yanked his hand away, viciously backhanding her. "John," she whimpered and her tears started to fall as he began unceremoniously removing her torn garments.

"John, John!" Kenno mimicked evilly with a laugh. "He can't hear you, bitch," he sneered, leaning down to suck on the side of her neck. Evie gritted her teeth and smacked her head against his. Kenno stumbled back, dazed, and cursed at her. Recovering quickly, his fist connected violently with her jaw. She groaned in pain, and then screamed when he sunk his teeth into her shoulder.

"John!" she sobbed, but the rain now pounding on the roof and the thunder booming outside prevented her cries from being heard by anyone other than her sadistic captor. Satisfied that he had tormented his prey into submission for a second time, Kenno stepped back and began undoing his belt.

Suddenly two shots rang out. There was a thud from outside the room and the loud noise of wood splintering. Kenno and Evie looked up in time to see John standing in the threshold of the kicked-in door. He was soaked from head to foot, no shoes, no flak vest, a nine millimeter in hand, and a lust for blood evident in his steely gaze. Seeing that Evie was far enough from Kenno, John wasted no time pulling the trigger, emptying the rest of the magazine into the man's body. His enemy's death would have been much slower had it not been for his wife's distress. Pulling a Swiss army knife from his pocket, he was immediately at her side, sawing at her bonds.

"John…John," Evie whimpered.

"I'm here, Evie," he said softly. The last of the rope snapped and as Evie shook it off, John gently took her face in his hands. "You okay?" he asked somewhat hesitantly.

"No!" she cried, her entire body trembling.

"Oh, Evie," he breathed sorrowfully. "C'mere, sweetheart," he said, pulling her close to him and drawing her head to his chest.

Evie jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding onto him as if for dear life. As sobs racked her shaking body, she whispered his name over and over…

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said, gently stroking her head, a touch that always had a calming effect on her.

Evie looked up at him, lower lip trembling. "But he…" she tried. "He--"

"I know, Evie, but it's over now. I'm here," he murmured, gently kissing her forehead. When she didn't seem to mind the affectionate gesture, he began placing light, feathery kisses all over her face. Desperate to replace bad memories with good ones, she grabbed his face and kissed him deeply, her tongue anxiously seeking his. John met her need with gentleness, and Evie made a noise that was between a sob and a relieved whimper.

Releasing his lips a minute later, Evie rested her head on his shoulder, still drawing shaky breaths. "You going to be alright, Evie?" he murmured, his hand returning to stroke her head. Evie just shrugged. When she shivered a moment later, John gently set her down. "Let's get you dressed." Noting that the only garment of hers that wasn't completely shredded was her pants, John quickly slipped out of his wet jacket and handed it to her. "It's wet, but it's better than nothing," he conceded, stooping to pick up her gray reg slacks as well. When Evie noticed his eyes skimming over her body, assessing the damage, she looked down, embarrassed, then turned away from him. "Evie…" he started.

"How'd you get out?" she asked quietly.

John sighed sadly; he prayed Kenno hadn't broken her spirit. "Lorne," he said simply…

_John had finally given up on struggling against the chains. There was no way he was getting out of them, short of chewing off his hands. Suddenly, over the rain and the thunder, he heard the sound of gunfire, yelling. "Colonel Sheppard!" he recognized a familiar voice shouting. Before John had a chance to reply, the door at the end of the building shattered into a thousand splinters. Lorne and McKenzie rushed inside. After making sure that there were no more guards inside the prison complex, Lorne ran over to Sheppard's cell, pulling more C4 out of his vest. "You alright, sir?" he asked as he prepared the charge. _

_"I'm fine, Colonel," John answered, then immediately asked, "Where's Captain Brooks?" _

_"We thought she was with you," Lorne answered, backing up. "Cover!" he called, ducking as he detonated the C4. Sheppard's cell door blasted open, and Lorne called to McKenzie to search the guard's body for keys when he saw John's chains. _

_"How'd you guys find us?" John asked as McKenzie found and tossed the keys to Lorne. _

_"I saw the Gate address before I was shot, sir," McKenzie answered while Lorne rushed inside Sheppard's cell, using the key to remove John's chains. _

_"Well, what the hell took you so long?" John growled. _

_"I was shot twice, sir," McKenzie replied. "Took me longer to wake up." _

_"Do you know where Brooks is?" Lorne asked, handing John a nine mil. _

_"Yes," John answered, heading quickly for the door. Suddenly, he stopped. "Give me your knife," he ordered. _

_Lorne quickly complied. "Sir!" he called, when John began running toward the building where Evie was being held. "You need backup!" he said, catching up. _

_"No," John said firmly. "You stay here, make sure the area is secure." _

_"But, sir--" _

_"That's an order, Lorne!" he cried, running into the building…_

Once she was dressed, Evie and John returned to where the others, Lorne's and Davis's teams, were waiting. "Let's get out of here, Colonel," John ordered.

"Yes, sir," Lorne agreed, then turned to his men. "Let's move out!"

* * *

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Chuck called. "Colonel Lorne's IDC, ma'am."

"Lower the shield," Elizabeth called, rushing into the Control Room.

A few seconds after the shield was down, the two drenched teams, along with a barefoot and bedraggled John and Evie, walked through the Gate. Elizabeth immediately grew worried when she saw the bloodstains on the latter two's clothing. "John, what happened?" she asked, quickly descending the stairs. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he answered, then looked over at his wife. "It's not my blood."

"Captain, you're injured?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, ma'am," Evie answered quietly. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Evie nodded. "Alright then," Elizabeth said, "why don't you all take hot showers and get into dry clothes? We'll debrief in an hour."

"Ma'am," Evie began timidly, her voice quivering. "Permission to be absent from the debriefing?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "For what reason?"

Evie bit her lip and looked over at John pleadingly. John nodded and quickly walked over to Elizabeth, whispering in her ear.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, Lord," she breathed. Looking over at Evie with sympathetic eyes, she nodded. "Report to the infirmary," she said gently. "Once Carson releases you, you're free to go."

"Thank you, ma'am," Evie said, quickly slipping away to the infirmary.

After hearing Evie's tearful, mumbled account of what had happened, Carson sent the poor girl to the showers, saying that he would look her over after she had gotten cleaned up. Evie had thanked him, also asking that the incident be kept "in house." Carson had kindly agreed.

Once in the shower, Evie let the hot water wash away all the dirt and blood on her body. The steam and temperature of the water felt good on her sore muscles. She scrubbed furiously at the marks Kenno had left on her, as if trying wash them away, and her tears mingled with the shower water flowing down the drain. She stopped both downpours a moment later.

Pulling aside the curtain, Evie stepped out of the shower in a daze. Quickly grabbing the provided towel, she wrapped it around her body, not wanting to see her bruises anymore. She stood in front of the mirror and slowly, very slowly, raised her eyes to look at herself. Evie winced. Even with the towel covering most of the reminders, she could still see the reddish mark near the base of her neck, the dark bruise on the side of her jaw, the deep bite mark on her shoulder. Tears slowly filled her eyes. Even though the man was dead, he still tormented her.

Bitterness and anger welling up inside of her, Evie took out her frustration on the mirror, smashing it with her fist as she started sobbing. The pain in her throbbing hand momentarily took her mind off of Kenno. No longer rational, Evie grabbed one of the larger glass shards, staring at its sharp edge for a moment before slashing it across her chest. She cried out in pain as blood began to trickle down into the towel; she hadn't meant to cut so deep, hadn't really meant to cut at all.

Hurling the bloodied piece of glass into the sink, she cried out for Carson as she fell to her knees, sobbing.

Only a few moments later, there was a knock on the door and Evie heard Carson's voice calling, "Evie, are you alright?" She merely let out a strangled sob in response. Carson opened the door and looked at her with compassionate eyes. "It's a'right, Evie," he soothed, kneeling on the floor beside her. "You're safe now." Noting the broken mirror and the cut on her chest, it didn't take him long to put two and two together. "Oh, good Lord, lass, what have you done to yourself?"

"I…I d-didn't mean to!" she choked out.

"There, there, love," he said gently, reaching out to pat her arm, but thinking better of it. "We'll get you all fixed up, don't you worry," he promised.

XXXXXX

An hour later, after a very awkward examination, Evie sat on the edge of the examination table, dressed in the pajamas that John had brought to the infirmary by her request; as soon as she was released, she was going straight to her quarters and not coming out for days.

A few feet away, Elizabeth and Carson conferenced in hushed tones. "Well, aside from several bruises and marks and the obvious emotional trauma, she's going to be alright," Carson informed Weir.

Elizabeth nodded. "Should she be taken off of active duty, do you think?" she asked.

"Oh, definitely," Carson said, nodding. "She needs time to sort through her emotions right now. And while I don't think our captain would, some rape victims 'snap' some time after the incident. I wouldn't want her armed with a P-90 in her condition."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "So, what, two weeks? Three weeks?"

"I think Dr. Heightmeyer is the one to answer that question," Carson answered. "It would be a good idea if Evie would talk to her, but I already suggested it and she said she just wanted to be left alone right now."

Elizabeth looked over and gave Evie a sympathetic smile. Then she nodded to the Scotsman. "Thank you, Carson."

"No problem," he said, returning to his patients.

"Captain," Elizabeth said gently, walking over to where Evie sat, swinging her feet. "I think it would be best if you were taken off of active duty for a few weeks." She held her breath as she waited for Evie's response.

A quiet, "Thank you, ma'am," was all she got.

"You are free to spend your time as you like, but just know…" She smiled kindly. "If you ever want to talk…I'm here. We're all here for you, Evie."

"Thank you, ma'am," Evie repeated, jumping down off the table and nearly running to the solace of her quarters.

XXXXXX

For the first week after the incident, Evie barely came out of her quarters. Sometimes she emerged for meals; sometimes she didn't. John had come by to see Evie several times after the defeat of the Tenanian uprise two days later, but when he realized that his presence was only making her feel worse, he left her alone.

Deciding that he was hungry, Aiden ventured into his mother's quarters. "Mommy, can you get me--" He paused when he saw her curled up on her bed and heard her quiet sobs. "Mommy?" he asked worriedly, running over to her side. "Mommy, why are you crying?" He put a hand on her head and gently stroked her hair.

Her son's show of compassion only made her want to cry more, but she wiped her eyes and tried to pull it together for his sake.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Aiden asked, the concern evident on his little face. "Are you okay?"

Evie sniffled and reached her hand up to clasp his. "A mean man…hurt Mommy," she managed with some difficulty.

She saw his hazel eyes darken in anger. "I'll go get 'im, Mommy!" he declared, his determined expression reminiscent of his father. "And I'll lock him in the Wraith-prison forever and ever!"

Evie couldn't help but smile as she swiped at her eyes again. "It's okay, Aiden. Da-- Uncle John--" Crap, she _had_ to stop slipping! "--took care of him," she informed him shakily. "He's not going to hurt anybody anymore." After pausing again to keep her composure, she asked, "Now, was there something you needed, baby?"

Aiden shook his head, still worried about his mother. "No, Mommy," he said and then climbed onto the bed to give her a hug.

XXXXXX

Ten days after the horrible event, Evie finally worked up the nerve to talk to someone about it. Kate Heightmeyer looked up from her paperwork when she head a knock on the door. "Come in," she called. She watched the door whoosh open and Evie wander in, eyes on her feet.

"I'm glad you chose to come, Evie," Kate said gently as she stood up. "Carson said he hoped you would. Please, make yourself comfortable," she said, gesturing to the chair.

Spotting one of Dakota's dress-up necklaces on Kate's desk, Evie grabbed it before sitting down. Kate watched curiously as Evie threaded her fingers through it, playing cat's cradle. "Okay," Kate said, sitting in the chair opposite her patient. "I'm going to ask you several questions. Some of them are going to be hard. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to. And if you just want to talk about something, feel free to interrupt anytime. You ready?"

Evie nodded and continued staring at and fiddling with the beads.

"Okay, don't shoot me for this first one, but…how are you feeling?"

Evie rolled her eyes and began swinging the necklace around her finger. "I was raped, Kate. How would _you_ be feeling?" she answered sarcastically.

"Okay…" Kate thought for a moment and opened her mouth to ask another question, but Evie interrupted.

"I'm just glad that--" She paused. "Well, you have no idea how scared I was until I got my period two days ago."

Kate nodded understandingly. "Do you blame yourself at all for what happened?"

Back to cat's cradle. "Nope. Just the bastard that did it."

"That's good," Kate said, a little relieved; her last rape case had blamed herself for months. "Knowing that it wasn't your fault is important."

"Yep."

"Are you upset that you weren't the one to kill him?"

Evie finally raised her head and made eye contact. "You know… I thought I would be…but I'm just glad he's dead."

Kate nodded and made some notes on her clipboard. "These next few are going to be a little more personal, but remember that you don't have to answer." Evie nodded slowly. She generally liked talking about things with _someone_; Kate seemed like as a good a person as any. "Were you in a healthy sexual relationship before this happened?" When Evie seemed to hesitate, Kate gently reminded, "This is all confidential, of course."

Evie paused for a minute, then answered, "Yes."

"For at least the last few months?"

"Yes."

More notes. "And is this person still with you?"

"That _man_ is, yes," Evie answered, not liking the implications of the generic term "person."

"Have you had any physical contact with him since this happened?"

Evie sighed heavily. "He tried to touch my arm…but I told him it made me uncomfortable."

Kate nodded understandingly. "But you _do_ want to return to having a sexual relationship with him someday?"

"Duh." Spinning the beads again.

Kate hesitated for a moment, then plowed on ahead with the hardest one. "Was there a favorite touch…or action that you enjoyed from your lover…that Kenno did as well? Something that you now fear you will always associate with your attacker?" Evie shuddered. Kate had tried to ask as gently as possible, but the question was just harsh no matter how it was asked.

Evie had always loved the sensation of John sinking his teeth into the back of her neck. But after what Kenno had done… Rather than answering the question directly, she merely pulled aside the collar of her shirt.

Kate gasped when she saw the slowly-healing teeth marks on Evie's shoulder. She decided to back off a little. "Have you had any nightmares, Evie?"

Evie lowered her gaze back to the beads, which were now wrapped around her hand…

_Evie woke up screaming for the fourth time that week--and it was only Tuesday. As tears slowly trickled down her cheeks, she turned on the lamp on her bedside table; the nightlight wasn't helping. She glanced nervously around the room. When she had awoken from a nightmare two days ago and shot at a shadow with her nine millimeter, it had been taken away from her; as a result, she now felt very unprotected. _

_She slid out of bed and quickly wrapped her robe around herself. Biting her lip and trying to concentrate on something happy, she swiped at her eyes. She knew what she needed right now, and her feet had soon taken her to her husband's quarters. _

_She stood there for what seemed like hours, trying to will herself to knock on the door. She just wanted him to hold her, to rest in his strong arms and have him make it all go away. And yet, having him touch her was also the very thing she **didn't** want. Her wounds, her shame, were still too fresh, too overwhelming. Defeated, she dropped her head and began slowly walking away. _

_(However, had she knocked, she might have been able to rescue him from his own nightmare: a horribly twisted reality where he was powerless to do anything but listen to her screams as Kenno defiled her again and again.) _

_Evie found herself knocking on Summer's door instead. After a moment, her barely-awake friend opened the door. "Hey…" Evie said, looking down. She searched for words for a few seconds. "I…I was just wondering if--" Summer nodded, reaching out for Evie's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, then pulling her inside. Evie curled up on the couch, pulling the extra blanket over herself. For some reason, she didn't have night terrors as bad when there were others around. She still had bad dreams, though…_

Twisting the beads between her fingers, Evie said quietly, "Each nightmare plays out differently. …what if I had tried this? …what if I had fought harder? …could things have turned out differently?" A tear slid down her cheek and she made no attempt to stop it.

"I thought you said you didn't blame yourself?" Kate said gently.

Evie frowned. "Guess I thought I didn't…"

Kate sighed quietly. She knew it couldn't have been that easy.


	22. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

**A/N:** Cookies for everybody who can pick out the movie lines and name the movies! No, Amelia, you're not allowed to play. ;)

* * *

**Seven Years Old - 2013**

_"I can't go on like this. I loathe all I've become. I've woken now to find myself in the shadows of all I have created. I'm longing to be lost in you, away from this place I have made. Won't you take me away from me?" - Evanescence, "Away From Me"_

After two weeks of meeting with Heightmeyer, Evie felt slightly better. Kate had been able, for the most part, to help Evie convince herself that she was blameless. Her only fault, if you could call it that, was that she had been found attractive. After finally coming to terms with the fact that there was nothing she could have done, Evie didn't feel so ashamed around John. In fact, they'd been taking baby steps towards physical contact. Wonderful, patient John hadn't pressured her for anything. He'd merely smiled that night in the rec room, alone with the exceptions of Summer, Rodney, and Laura, when Evie had reached for his hand as they sat on the couch. A week later, when they'd again been in a safe position for making public displays of affection, Evie had leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. He had attempted to wrap his arm around her, but Evie had shaken her head 'no' and John had respected that.

A few days after that, however, something happened that threatened to undo all their progress. Evie had been in Zelenka's lab, temping as a lab assistant. In an effort to cheer Evie up, Radek had called her over to where he was looking at something under a microscope. "I think you might find this cell culture interesting, Captain," he said, moving so she could see. "It looks like a thousand dancing hamsters."

Evie laughed and bent to take a look. She saw several green and blue amoeba-like creatures. "What are they?" she asked, adjusting the microscope for a closer view.

"I have not decided yet," he answered with a grin. "Since I discovered it, I have the honor of naming it." He then turned his attention to the tablet in his hands.

"Sweet," Evie said, intently watching the little magnified blobs.

She felt someone brush by her as they walked past, then suddenly felt that someone grabbing her rear. She whirled around and grabbed the arm of the unsuspecting scientist, pinning it painfully behind his back and slamming him onto the table in front of her, accidentally sending the microscope crashing to the floor. "Don't touch me!" she screamed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the new scientist cried, trying to wrench his arm free, but Evie kept it sharply pinned. "Ow! Let me go!"

Radek, who had been informed of Evie's situation by his wife, made no attempt to stop the captain from inflicting pain on the perverted scientist.

Tears trickling down her cheeks, Evie was finally pulled away by Summer, who had been sent to Radek's lab to "keep an eye on her." "Come on, Evie," she said gently, leading her friend by the arm. "Let's go for a walk…"

XXXXXX

Sheppard stormed angrily into Elizabeth's office later that evening. "Where's the son of a bitch who touched her?" he growled.

Elizabeth looked up from her writing tablet and sighed. "He's been dealt with," she answered. "It's just come to my attention that this isn't the first complaint against him. I'm sorry."

"'Dealt with'? That means you had Ronon castrate the bastard, right?" John asked, his face indicating that he was not joking.

Elizabeth wondered at the amount of venom in his attitude. She had been distressed -- upset even -- by the incident, but he was downright incensed. "You seem awfully…" Elizabeth thought the word was "possessive" but didn't want to say that, "protective of her, John…"

"I'm…the senior military officer," he replied somewhat awkwardly. "She's my responsibility…"

Elizabeth just nodded slowly, not daring to press the matter with the clearly irrational man. "Don't worry, John," she answered. "He's been transferred back to Earth. I don't tolerate sexual harassment, no matter what the circumstances."

"Good." With that, he left, intent on consoling his wife. He knocked on her door and heard her subdued voice.

"Who is it?"

"It's John, Evie," he answered quietly.

There was a pause, then, "Come in."

Stepping inside, he found her sitting on her bed, reading a book. He pulled over her swivel chair and sat down. "So, I heard what happened today… You okay?"

"I hate men!" she cried, throwing the book clear across the room and crossing her arms.

"I suppose I shouldn't take that personally?" he asked trying to lighten her mood.

"Do you have any idea what kind of flashbacks that triggered?" she asked, looking at him, eyes full of pain.

"I know…"

"How could you?" she asked defensively. "You were unconscious in a cell the whole time!"

"No, Evie," he said, slowly shaking his head. "No… I had to sit there for a full five minutes watching him hurt you before they knocked me out." Evie saw his jaw tighten at the memory.

She looked down after a minute, swiping at her eyes. "I know, I'm…I'm sorry…" Without looking up, she reached out and took his hand, as if to prove to herself that they hadn't lost ground because of this.

In an attempt to make her smile, John glanced over at the tossed book. "So…was the storyline really that crappy?" Evie gave him a watery smile.

XXXXXX

A full six weeks after the incident, Kate still didn't think it would be wise for Evie to return to going off-world, especially not armed with a P-90. So Lieutenant Sarah Lipp continued working on Colonel Donovan's team as a temporary replacement for Evie. While Summer and Michael hadn't liked the woman at first, as they wanted Evie back, they'd grown accustomed to her presence on the team.

Evie on the other hand, continued her job schlepping for Radek in his lab. Her face was still downcast and she tried to get through her day with as little contact with males as possible. Apart from occasionally holding John's hand and resting against his shoulder, Evie had no further physical contact with her husband. She still wasn't ready, and felt guilty that she was no longer able to meet his needs. Evie had confided this to Summer, who then hinted to John that he ought to do something to let Evie know how much he still loved her, regardless of the fact that they hadn't been together in over a month. And that was why he now found himself in McKay's lab, asking for advice.

"C'mon, Rodney," John begged. "Please? I can't stand to see her like this."

Rodney sighed. "Fine. What have you got so far?"

John looked down at the stationery he had taken from Summer. "Uhh... Just 'Dearest Evie.' I've never written one of these before… I have no idea what to say."

Rodney thought for a minute, then grinned. "Say something about her breasts."

John jerked his head up to look at his friend. "_Excuse me?!_"

"Culture is lost on you," Rodney said, rolling his eyes. "Okay, okay…'Dearest Evie, my heart…longs…for your presence…daily…"

Sheppard made a face. "That's crap."

"You got something better, Casanova?" Rodney asked, frowning.

"Start earning your pay, Cyrano," John shot back.

"I'm getting paid?"

"In my undying appreciation," John said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now compose."

"Well, what kind of things do you want me to come up with?" Rodney asked, getting slightly frustrated.

"I have no idea," John answered. "Right now, I'm still a little weirded out by the fact that you just commented on _my wife's_ body like that."

"No, you idiot," Rodney said, shaking his head. "It was a movie quote!"

John's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yes! That's what we'll do!"

"What?"

"We'll use movie lines!"

Rodney snapped his fingers quickly several times. "Mary! She's memorized practically every chick flick known to man."

John nodded and tapped his headset. "Dr. Mary McKay, please report to Dr.--uhh, your husband's lab. Thank you." He looked up at Rodney again. "You got any quotes off the top of your head while we wait for her?"

"I don't exactly sit around memorizing films," Rodney said sarcastically. "I prefer to spend my ti--"

"What's the first line that comes to your mind?" John asked exasperatedly.

Rodney sighed and recited, "Big Brother _isn't_ watching you."

John just blinked at him. "You are so strange."

"Hey, you asked for the first--"

"You called, Colonel Sheppard?" Mary asked, entering the lab.

John motioned for her to pull up a chair. "Yeah, Rodney said that you might be able to help us with something…"

XXXXXX

Freeing the pill of the small piece of plastic, Evie gratefully swallowed the Midol, hoping the next person she ran into wouldn't receive another emotional outburst. At least she'd done the city a favor and changed into her "I have PMS and a gun" shirt. Just as she returned to her bed and mystery novel, she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" she called, slowly getting up.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," John called teasingly.

Evie smiled and waved her hand in front of the sensor. She pretended to be disappointed when she saw her husband standing there. "Oh, it's just you."

"Well, if that's how you feel, I'll just leave," he said, feigning offense.

She shook her head. "You're welcome to stay."

"Actually, I do have to get back to work, but I just wanted to give you this." He handed her the letter that he, Rodney, and Mary had spent nearly two hours perfecting. "I wanted to cheer you up, so here's my pathetic attempt at a love letter," he said, chuckling nervously.

Evie looked down at the envelope, stared at it for a minute, and then made the high-pitched squealing noise that John knew preceded sobbing.

"Oh, crap, was that not the right thing to do?" he asked worriedly.

"No, it's wonderful," she wailed, moving to lay her head on his chest as her tears slowly started to fall. John wasn't sure whether or not he should touch her, but when she loosely wrapped her arms around him, he gently embraced her, reveling in the forgotten sensation of her body against his.

Evie pulled away all too soon for John's liking, but he said nothing. Wiping her cheeks, she managed without sobbing, "Sorry, I'm just… really emotional right now…" John nodded. He had learned long ago not to cross her during this time of the month. "Thank you for the letter," she sniffled, turning and heading for her bed.

"I hope you like it," he said, opening the door. Before leaving, he whispered, "I love you."

Evie just nodded, knowing that if she tried to speak, she would just start sobbing. When she opened the letter, however, even her best efforts couldn't prevent that from happening.

"_Dearest Evie,_

_"I never would have thought I'd throw caution to the wind and so totally and completely screw regulations. But then I met you. You amaze me. You make me laugh, you knock me on my butt, you rock my world. At first I couldn't figure out what it was that attracted me to you. Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched you. It was like coming home... Only to no home I'd ever known... You were just helping to wipe the ice cream off my shirt and I knew. It was like... Magic. _

_"I knew the first time I kissed you that you were different. Different than all the other girls I've kissed, which I suppose isn't the most romantic thing to write in a love letter, but I'm making a point here. It was that thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person and you realize that that person is the only person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that it will go away all at the same time. _

_"But it didn't go away. I can't believe I've been married to you for eight wonderful years. I remember the day I proposed to you like it was yesterday. I'd stayed up the whole night before trying to convince myself to go through with it. I still remember the look on your face when I pulled out that ring. I knew how scared you were, because I was terrified. But I know that a life without love is no life at all. And this is true love! You think it happens everyday? Thank you for marrying me, Evie. _

_"I just wanted to say that you've, uh... you've made an impression on me. And it's not just the way you look... I mean, which is great. Your looks are, you know, top shelf. But, I don't know... You're graceful. You know, the way you move and speak. I mean, some people have a way with words and, you know, you... you do. The bottom line is, I like you. I love you more than anything and I want you to know that. Nothing will ever change that. Our love is like the wind. I can't see it, but I can feel it. Evie, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I finally found the girl to fit the slipper. You're my princess, my angel, my Shopgirl. Se latrevo. Tye-mela'ne. Ek is lief vir jou. I love you. _

_"Eternally yours, John." _

XXXXXX

About a week after that, seven weeks after the second worst day of her life, Evie was cleared by Kate to resume active duty. But getting back into the flow of things wasn't as easy as Evie had thought it would be. Donovan, Michael, and Summer were used to dealing with Sarah and the way that she did things. Now they had to switch gears yet again. And while Evie didn't feel outcast, it was the little things that hurt.

"Here, Michael," Summer said, holding out a thick book from the natives' library. "Hand this to Sarah. I mean, Evie," she quickly corrected.

Evie looked down at her feet and sighed forlornly as she accepted the book and attempted to lose herself in it. '_Just give it time, Evie,'_ she told herself for the countless time. '_Everything will get better again soon…'_

Evie wasn't the only one having off-world issues. Just a month after Evie had recommenced active duty, John made the mistake of picking the planet of Erendia. The Royal Family wasn't interested in trade but Princess Ēnajae had definitely found something that caught her eye: Sheppard.

Princess Ēnajae was very beautiful, with sparkling sky-blue eyes, and a head full of long, jet-black curls. She had a physique any woman would have envied, and was used to always getting what she wanted. Just an hour before the Atlanteans were to leave, she asked her brother, Karone, to deliver a message to John.

After being told that Ēnajae wished to see him about something before he left, he promptly made his way through the palace to her bedroom. He knocked on the door, calling, "It's Colonel Sheppard."

Ēnajae opened the large, ornate door and smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Karone said you needed to talk with me about something?" John inquired.

Taking his wrist, Ēnajae quickly pulled him inside her room, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Despite the fact that this was the umpteenth time that he had been seduced, John still didn't realize the temptress's intentions until she was pushing his jacket off his shoulders. "Whoa, what are yo--" Ēnajae silenced his protest by pressing her lips to his. Having been denied physical affection for over three months now, instinct and need took over and he kissed her back, allowing his hands to sink into her raven curls. She moaned as he deepened the kiss and she pressed her body against his. A moment later, she removed her hands from his chest and unfastened the broach on her cloak; the garment fell to the floor and revealed that she was wearing only a very short, very sheer chemise.

It didn't take long for John's conscience to catch up with him. Whether it was because the curls he was tangling through his fingers didn't feel like Evie or due to the fact that Ēnajae was slowly untucking his shirt, a wave of guilt hit him like a slap in the face. He tore his lips from hers and stared at the floor. "No. I-I can't."

"You most certainly can," Ēnajae encouraged. "My brother knows nothing of my intentions." She moved to kiss him again, but John put his hands on her shoulders, holding her back.

"I have a wife," he informed her, looking her in the eye.

She looked at him quizzically. "And I am betrothed," she said with a carefree air as she slid her hands up his chest. "It matters not."

He grabbed her wrists. "No, it matters a lot." Ēnajae cocked her head to one side and frowned at him. "I made a promise," John said firmly, "to be true to her."

She stuck out a pouting lower lip. "She doesn't have to find out," she tried hopefully.

"No." He shook his head and took a step back. "Now," he said, retucking his shirttail into his pants, "if there is nothing else I can help you with, I really ought to be going."

Ēenajae frowned as she watched him head for the door. "Don't forget this," she snapped, picking up his jacket and throwing it at him.

John turned and the garment smacked him in the face. "Thank you," he said with a forced smile. "We're leaving in an hour. I assume you don't want me dropping by your place again to say 'goodbye'?"

Ēenjae slammed the door in his face.


	23. Love Conquers All

**Seven Years Old - 2013**

_"Baby, can't you see that he's not me? And I need you to know you can fall into me, that my arms are wide open and will always be right here waiting, staying strong. Come and fall into me." - Emerson Drive, "Fall Into Me" _

At first, John's slip with Ēnajae didn't bother him. But by the next day, it had really begun to gnaw at him, especially after lunch with Evie. Rather than make a male mistake and just tell her straight out, "Oh, by the way, I made out with this chick," he went to talk to Summer.

"You needed to see me, sir?" Summer asked as she entered the near-empty mess hall, where he had asked her to meet him.

"Yes, and please, it's just John when we're off the clock," he admonished.

"Alright then, Just John, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked sitting in the chair he had offered.

"I think… No, I _know_ I screwed up," he said, looking anywhere but at Summer.

"Yes…?" Summer prodded.

"When I was off-world the other day," he said, ducking slightly as he continued, "there was this woman named Ēnajae...and she tried to seduce me an--"

Summer quickly became defensive of her best friend. "Your wife went through all that and then you can't control your macho manhood in the presence of some slutty alien princess?" she asked angrily.

"I'm not proud of it," John said, looking away. "But nothing happened, alright?"

"How much 'nothing'?" Summer snapped.

John winced. "I sort of…kissed her…"

Incensed at this betrayal of Evie, Summer slapped him across the face.

"Ow!" Startled by the unexpected blow, John reached a hand up to his cheek. "You _hit_ me!"

Summer's eyes widened. "Oh, _sir_! I'm so sorry!" She reached a hand out, but then pulled back.

"I won't report you if you'll just _listen_ to me," he said, gingerly rubbing the side of his face. "_She_ came on to _me_. I wasn't prepared for it… Look, I'm a _man_, okay?"

Summer sighed. "You really are sorry?" she questioned.

"Very," he said, nodding. "It's been bugging me all day."

Suddenly, Summer looked confused. "Sir…why are you telling _me_ this? I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"I don't know how she'll take it," he said, biting the corner of his mouth. "You think I should tell her now?"

Summer nodded. "Before she finds out from someone else."

John sighed. "Thank you, Major," he said, getting up and leaving for Evie's quarters. When he didn't find her there, he remembered that she had said something about helping Rodney. He found her in McKay's lab with only one of Rodney's assistants present. "I need to speak with Captain Brooks," he told the little man, who nodded and left them alone. John ordered the door shut behind the scientist.

Evie looked up at her husband nervously. "John…I'm not ready," she said quietly.

"Not ready for what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sex."

"What?"

"We _always_ do it in Rodney's lab…" she explained.

"Always do what in my lab?" Rodney asked, walking into the large room.

"Out!" John ordered.

"Colonel, this is _my_--" At a glare from John, Rodney quickly complied. "Fine."

Once he was out, John locked the doors. "No, Evie," he said. "I just wanted to talk…"

"And that's why you locked the door?" she asked nervously when he walked over to where she was seated in one of the swivel chairs.

He sat down on the edge of the table with a heavy sigh. "Evie, I need to tell you something... It's going to make you mad." He tried to organize his thoughts and form his sentences first before blurting them out, like he was worried he'd do. "I'm not proud of it, but you need to know." Evie looked at him expectantly and he took a deep breath. "When we were off-world yesterday…a girl kissed me. And I…kissed her back." He saw her face fall at this. "But that was it, I _swear_," he tried to assure her. "She wanted to take it further, but I came to my senses."

Evie looked down for a minute, trying to think of an appropriate response. "I know I haven't been the best wife for the past few months," she said quietly, "but I never thought you would go looking elsewhere."

John felt like kicking himself now for even kissing the woman. "I didn't want her, Evie," he said sincerely. "I just…I reacted." Evie bit her lip, and John tried further to redeem himself. "Evie, if I wasn't sorry and didn't care about you, why would I have even told you?" When she didn't say anything, he tried to elaborate, and only succeeded in making things worse. "Hell, if I had wanted her, I would have slept with her, left it out of the mission report, and nobody but me would have known."

Evie looked up at him with a frown.

"I mean…that's not what I… Aw, crap." He sighed again. "You know what I told her when she started coming onto me? I told her that I had a wife and that I had _promised_ to be true to her."

This comment made Evie feel a little bit better, but she still wasn't ready to forgive. "Actions speak louder than words, John," she said, standing up.

As she turned to leave, he caught her arm and pulled her against him, kissing her.

Evie yanked her arm away and shoved him roughly backwards. "Get away from me!" she cried, blinking back tears.

"What?" he asked in confusion. "I thought that's what you wanted!"

Evie muttered something incoherent, tears starting to fall.

John kicked the side of the desk. "Dammit, Evie, you know guys can't interpret things correctly!"

"Get out," she managed.

"Evie, I'm sorry, I real--"

"Get out!"

XXXXXX

"Well, that's what _I_ took it to mean!" John said in his defense.

Summer sighed. "You may have told that woman that you were going to be faithful to Evie, but the fact remains that you _did_ respond to her," she explained. "_That's_ what Evie meant. Kissing her was probably the worst thing you could possibly have done."

"Yeah, I got that, thank you," John snapped. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So, what am I supposed to do? She hates me now, doesn't she?"

Summer bit her lip. "I'm not really supposed to say anything, but…" she trailed off.

"Oh, come on," John begged. "Throw me a bone, here. What does she want me to do?"

"She just needs time to forgive you," Summer said at last. "Not for kissing the slut, for kissing _her_." John nodded slowly. "She knows in her head that you didn't mean to hurt her, but it has to get through to her heart."

"So…she isn't upset about the girl?" he asked confusedly.

"Oh, she was pretty ticked about that when she talked to me, but she's forgiven you for that," Summer answered. "The fact that you confessed to her and apologized made the offense less…offensive."

"So…what should I do?" he repeated.

"Nothing," Summer told him. "Just wait until she decides to forgive you."

John sighed; women were just too damn complicated.

XXXXXX

It only took Evie three days to recover. The forced kiss had only given her a few flashbacks, no nightmares, and Evie counted that a blessing. She found her husband in one of the empty meeting rooms, finishing his report from his last off-world mission. When he heard her quiet, "John?" he looked up from what he was writing.

"Hey," he said, pushing the report away and standing up.

"I think…I think I'm ready to forgive you," she said softly.

Since she had yet to forgive him for either of his two offenses, he asked, "For…?"

She began fiddling with her hands, as she always did when she was nervous. "For being a man," she answered.

"Well…if I wasn't a man…we'd have issues," he said with his trademark grin.

Evie tried to keep from smiling. "Don't make me laugh!" she said, lightly hitting his shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And in answer to your question, I forgive you for all of it," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

John smiled as he slipped his arms around his waist. "You're the best, Evie," he murmured, lightly kissing her forehead. Hoping that action wasn't too forward of him, he waited for her reaction. He definitely wasn't expecting her to press her lips against his. It had been nearly four months since she had kissed him, and he barely had the presence of mind to order the meeting room doors closed. Evie didn't allow him to deepen the kiss, but had no objections when he began nibbling on her lower lip.

She pulled away a few seconds later, letting her head fall back against his shoulder. "Love you."

"Love you, too," he murmured, then suddenly he grinned. "Does this mean we can have sex?"

Evie thumped his chest with her hand. "Don't push it."

XXXXXX

"Hey, Rodney," Evie said as she entered McKay's lab eight days after making up with her husband. "Think you could get this to Colonel Sheppard?" she asked, handing him a small box wrapped in plain brown paper with John's name on the top.

"What is it?" Rodney asked, taking the package and shaking it beside his ear.

"Something he needs to get right away," Evie said in a sultry tone.

"Uhh… He's in Elizabeth's office if you want to give it to him yourself," Rodney said, looking at her curiously.

"No, no," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I want _you_ to take it to him," she said, then turned to leave.

"This isn't a stink bomb along with a note written in my handwriting or something, is it?" he asked suspiciously.

Evie laughed as she turned back around. "No, Rodney," she smiled. "I assure you, he'll know it's from _me_. But don't tell him so."

Rodney nodded and watched her leave. As he hadn't really been doing anything important, he decided to deliver the package now. He could get that report from Elizabeth as well, kill two birds with one stone. Once he reached her office, he found John and Elizabeth wrapping up their meeting. When Elizabeth saw Rodney standing outside, she motioned for him to join them.

"Can I help you, Rodney?" she asked.

"Actually, I've got a package for Sheppard," he said, handing the small box to the pilot.

"For me?" John said effeminately. "Oh, Rodney, you _shouldn't_ have!" He pulled out his Swiss army knife and made short work of the paper and tape. Opening the cardboard flaps, he pulled out a pair of lacy, purple panties.

Elizabeth's eyebrows rose substantially. "Something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, John?" she asked teasingly.

He grinned and answered simply, "No, ma'am…" He noticed that there was a small note at the bottom of the box, and promptly pulled it out. He immediately recognized his wife's handwriting; as if anyone else would be mailing him lingerie. "_There's a whole lot more where this came from," _it flirted, "_or less…" _His eyes widened and he cleared his throat. "Are we, uh, are we done here?"

"Why, John? You have somewhere that you need to be?" Elizabeth teased evilly.

John smirked and nodded emphatically.

"Just two more quick things," she said, and John set his "present" down. "First, Athosian mythology, from the beginning to the present." John's eyes widened. "And after that, we'll tackle the ethics of the Wraith retrovirus." John looked like he was going to die. "Okay?"

"I, umm--"

Elizabeth grinned. "I'm kidding, John," she said with a laugh. "Go."

His eyes lit up. "Really?!" She nodded. He grinned and dashed out of her office, accidentally knocking one of the anatomically correct statues off her desk in his haste.

Elizabeth and Rodney just looked at each other for a minute.

Suddenly, John ran back into her office. He snatched the panties off her desk and dashed back out.

Stifling a giggle, Elizabeth looked up at the scientist still in her office. "Did you need something, Rodney?" he asked.

"Just your panties." At Elizabeth's shocked face, he cried, "Report! I meant _report_!"

XXXXXX

When the doors to his quarters opened, John rushed inside, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw his wife in an alluring position on his bed. '_Oh…shit.'_ She was wearing the lingerie he had bought for her on one of their trips back to Earth…

"_Ponder your feet," Evie ordered when she saw the half-naked models covering the banners displayed in the lingerie store window. _

_Glancing at the store out of the corner of his eye, John grinned. "No, sweetheart, let's go buy you something. Something hot." _

_Evie blushed. "You really want to?" _

_"Yeah." There was that boyish grin again. "This will be fun." _

_Evie sighed and nodded. "Fine." She allowed her husband to lead her into the store. When she saw the cute, young blonde helping another customer, she wagged her finger at him and said, "No flirting while I'm shopping." _

_John nodded. "Yes, ma'am." _

_"Anything in particular you want me to get?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. _

_"Anything that's gonna have me all over you," he replied with a smirk. _

_As she turned to browse, she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear, "I don't need lingerie for that…" _

_After watching his wife consider several items, John noticed that the blonde was no longer attending the other woman anymore. Deciding to have a little fun, he selected a garment at random from one of the clearance racks and approached the young lady. "Excuse me," he said, holding up the lacy pair of pink panties. "Do you have this in a leopard print?" _

_The blonde -- her nametag read Danielle -- smiled nervously, obviously finding John attractive. "I think we do, sir. Right over here." She led him over to one of the tables displaying an array of underwear. Selecting the desired pair, she handed it to him. "Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?" _

_"Yeah," John said, keeping his face completely serious. "Can I try this on?" he asked effeminately. _

_It was more than apparent that Danielle was trying not to laugh. "Sir?" _

_"Can I try this on?" he repeated, slower this time. Danielle's smile slowly disappeared as she suddenly realized she wasn't sure if the man was joking or not. John sighed. "What? Do you think I'd look better in the pink?" he asked, holding the garment up to himself. _

_Before Danielle had a chance to reply, Evie reprimanded, "John Eric!" _

_"If you'll excuse me," he said with a grin, handing her the frilly garment. "Yes, dear?" he asked, approaching his wife. Evie whacked his shoulder with an annoyed frown. "Ow!" _

_"I told you not to flirt with her," she said. _

_"I wasn't, I jus--" _

_"What do you think of this?" she asked, holding up a scarlet pair of underwear with a lacy rose design. _

_John smiled and shook his head. "You're so…chaste." _

_Evie rolled her eyes. "And what would you suggest?" _

_John quickly scanned the racks and grabbed the smallest, sheerest, skimpiest pair of panties he could find, holding them up with a smirk. _

_Evie yanked it out of his hand and looked at it in disgust. "No! I'd feel like a slut monkey." _

_"But you'd look really hot," John insisted with a grin. _

_"No," she said, shaking her head. "I refuse to--Ooh! Ooh!" She snapped her fingers in that quick "I've got something!" manner that McKay frequently did. _

_"What?" he asked, intrigued. _

_"Come on, I have an idea!" Tossing the garment aside, she grabbed his hand and quickly dragged him out of the store. _

_A few minutes later, she pulled him into an outlet with hard core music blaring, an array of mainly black clothing, and a cashier with spiked hair and a lip ring. John's brows furrowed as he surveyed the contents of the store. "Evie,…this store is…odd." But Evie wasn't listening. She was whispering something into the ear of the man behind the counter. A slow grin came over the man's face, and he nodded. "Sure thing, doll," he answered, leaving the cash register and retreating to the back supply room. "I'll hook you up." _

_Evie grinned and turned to John, who was watching perplexedly. "This is gonna be good," she assured him. _

_The man returned a moment later with something in a gift box. "Here you go, doll," he said as he handed the package to Evie. _

_"You're the best, Angel," she said with a smile. "I'm gonna go try it on." Angel nodded and returned to the cash register. Evie took John's hand and led him back to where there were two small dressing rooms. "You stay right here," she said as she stepped into the tiny changing room and closed the door. Smiling to herself, she said softly, "I hope you like leather." _

_John whimpered…_

Ever since John had hinted that he _might_, sort of, kind of have a little bit of a leather fetish, Evie had been dying to find something that would drive him wild. And she had succeeded. Poised provocatively on his bed, she was wearing a black leather bustier with a halter-top strap. The garment laced up in the front, pushing up her less-than-large breasts. Covering her saucy little rear end was a pair of leather boyshorts to match.

"Evie…" he breathed, moving to sit on the bed beside her. "You can't honestly expect me to be gentle with you in _that_…" His fingers were immediately drawn to the skin that was visible where the shorts laced up on the sides.

Evie sighed contentedly. "Missed your touch," she murmured, placing her hands over his.

"Missed touching you," he grinned, leaning over and placing a kiss on her shoulder. "You sure you're ready for this?" he asked gently, searching her eyes.

Evie nodded almost shyly. "I haven't had a nightmare in over two weeks," she explained with a relieved smile. "And I want things back the way they were. The way they're supposed to be," she modified after a pause.

Tenderly tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear, John very gently brushed his lips against hers. He made no effort to deepen the kiss until she indicated she was ready. Evie slowly slipped her arms around his neck and began running a hand through his hair. "Mm…missed you," John managed between kisses.

"Missed you, too," Evie breathed, tilting her head back and exposing her throat to him.

"Want you," he murmured, placing kisses along her jaw.

"Just promise me you'll be gentle," she begged in a whisper, forcing images of Kenno out of her mind when she felt his lips on her neck. She opened her eyes to keep herself focused on John, and not the past.

"I promise, Evie." His soft kisses on her skin sent shivers up and down her spine. "This is all about you, sweetheart," he lovingly assured her. "If you tell me to stop, I will."

Evie smiled as his mouth latched onto her clavicle. She thankfully saw no more images of her captor, only her adoring husband. She sighed happily. "I love you so incredibly much, John Sheppard."

"And I love you, Evie-darling." Feeling her melt out from under him, he opened his eyes and saw that she had moved to lie down so that her head was on the pillow. And she was giving him that look he loved. That sweet, adoring, you're-so-wonderful look. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him down against her for a passionate kiss. The next time Carson asked how things were between John and Evie, he was merely going to grin.


	24. The Felger Who Came to Dinner

**Eight Years Old - 2014**

_"We have our own heroes, who we try to emulate. I dream of one day being as sexy as Bill Gates. We hate watching sports 'cause we're reading Carl Sagan, but we'd watch the Olympics if they played Dungeons and Dragons. It's great to be a nerd. It's great to be a nerd. We think Tolkien was a genius and Shakespeare was a turd." - The Arrogant Worms, "It's Great to be a Nerd"_

"The SGC _gave_ him to us?" Rodney asked skeptically. "As in, 'Here. We don't want him'?"

"Colonel Carter said that she thought you'd love to have him on your research team," Elizabeth said, knocking on the door of the newest scientist's quarters.

When the door opened, Rodney's eyes widened. "Elizabeth, what have you done?!"

The dark-haired man grinned widely. "Oh, _Dr. McKay_! I'm such a fan of your work," he gushed. "All the research you've done on the ZPM is just fascinating!" He grasped Rodney's hand and shook it heartily. "Dr. Weir said that I would have the honor of working with you, sir?"

Rodney yanked his hand away. "No! No. Absolutely not," Rodney said, shaking his head and backing away.

"Rodney!" Elizabeth said disapprovingly.

"Give him to Radek!" Rodney said, eyeing the man as if he were some strange, two-headed monstrosity. "I don't want him."

"Rodney," Elizabeth ground out, "he has been very highly recommended to you."

"Well, I'm unrecommending him!" Rodney said, then pretended to tap his headset. "What's that, Colonel Sheppard?" he said, even though he knew Elizabeth would realize he was bluffing. "Of course! I'll be right there!" He nodded curtly to the other scientist. "If you'll excuse me." He quickly made his way back to the transporter.

The scientist watched Rodney go, a forlorn expression on his face.

Elizabeth sighed and put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Felger," she said gently. "Rodney just takes some getting used to. Why don't I introduce you to Dr. Zelenka?"

XXXXXX

Zelenka had been less than thrilled to learn that the clumsy Jay Felger would be working under him for a trial period of six weeks, but he contained his disapproval far better than McKay. At first, Jay didn't do too bad. But, true to Rodney's prediction, he _did_ accidentally blow something up before the end of the first week.

Not having read the SGC's reports on Felger, John didn't see why Rodney had such a problem with the man. He was a suck-up, that was for sure, but he really was a nice guy. Jay even surprised Aiden with a piñ ata for his eighth birthday. However, the "Felger Piñ ata Incident", as it became known, was the first offense of many against poor John.

"You go now, Doctah Jay!" Kyle said, handing the piñ ata stick to Felger. While most of the scientists _tolerated_ Jay, the kids _adored_ him.

Jay looked to Evie, who smiled and nodded. She tied the blindfold around his head and spun him around until he was dizzy enough to fall over.

"Hit it, Doctah Jay, hit it!" Kyle cheered along with the others.

Staggering, he swung widely and missed the piñ ata completely. However, his momentum from the swing kept him moving in a full circle, the stick gradually lowering as he spun. He felt it connect with something and immediately heard a pained yelp. Desperately trying to regain his balance, he yanked off the blindfold and gasped when he saw John crumple to the floor, a hand on the injured, most sensitive part of his anatomy. "Omigosh, Colonel, I'm _so_ sorry!" Jay said, eyes wide.

Evie took a step forward, then remembered her place and did nothing further.

With a pained expression, John ground out, "I'd tell you what I think of you, Felger, but there are kids around."

Evie suppressed a smile.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" Jay groveled. "I'll be more careful."

"Darn right you will be," John growled.

XXXXXX

Two weeks after that, Skylar got chickenpox. Apparently, Dr. Lee's son Johnny had contracted the virus, passed the germs on to his father, who had then passed them on to Felger before Jay left the SGC. Both men had had the sickness when they were little boys and so were none the wiser that they were sending the germs to the Pegasus Galaxy.

The old adage "misery loves company" proved very true in this case, as nearly all the children contracted chickenpox a few days after Skye…and poor Sheppard a few days after them. "What the hell?" he groaned as he scratched a sore on his forearm. Carson promptly slapped his hand away and rubbed a swab covered with calamine lotion over the infected area. "I _had_ this already!" he lamented. "When I was five."

"While having a second case of _Varicella simplex_ is rare, it does happen," Carson said, applying more of the soothing lotion to the sores on John's other arm.

"I am going to _kill_ Felger," John growled.

"Now how was poor Jay to know that he was spreading the disease, Colonel?" Carson asked. "You shouldna blame him; he already feels guilty enough."

"Yeah, well…"

"And things could be much worse, you know," Carson went on.

"How?"

"Rodney could have contracted them along with you," Carson said with a smirk.

John had to laugh. "True. Gah!" He scratched the side of his neck.

"Colonel, don't sc--"

"It itches!" John cried.

"Aye, and if'n you don't stop that, you'll make it worse," Carson admonished.

"Can't you give me something stronger than that pink stuff?" John whined.

"You could always try an oatmeal bath," Carson suggested. At John's severe look, he added, "Or not."

XXXXXX

Even after getting married, Rodney still had the teeniest hint of a crush on Samantha Carter. Not that he would ever act on it - he was very content with Mary - but the woman was still hot. And blonde. They'd been swapping e-mails a lot lately, especially since Felger was now in Atlantis and Sam liked to check up on him. Still convinced that he was smarter, Rodney had replied to one of her e-mails about how things in Pegasus were easy with the statement, "You know, you've only been to Atlantis three times. We have it _much_ harder than you guys do. I mean, it's been a month since I've had fast food!"

Sam had rolled her eyes, checked her schedule, and replied, "Oh, look at that, I have some free time. I think I'll just come out there and check on Felger."

Rodney had grinned widely and informed Elizabeth.

While they bickered constantly, Sam actually _did_ enjoy working with Rodney, even if just to prove him wrong at something. So far, the score in the battle of "Who's smarter?" was tied.

Until Sam went with Teyla to the mainland. While playing with one of the little Athosian girls, Sam encountered the Atlantis version of poison ivy and developed a horrible rash, just as Jay had two days ago. Upon her return, Carson told her that Jay currently had the only jar of salve that Zelenka had concocted to soothe the alien rash. So Sam went down to Radek's lab to get a portion of the cream for herself. However, when she saw what Radek was working on, she became fascinated and forgot about her original errand. And as usual, if Sam was in there, so was Rodney.

Catching Rodney's wandering eyes for the countless time, Sam sighed. "I swear, McKay, if you don't stop staring at my butt, I'll tell Mary…_and_ my fiancé ."

"I wasn't!" Rodney lied. "I was merel--" He stopped mid-sentence as the last part of her threat hit home. He glanced down at her hand and saw the diamond scintillating on her ring finger. How could he have missed it earlier? "He…he finally retired?" he asked confusedly.

Sam looked down at the ring. "No, this is from Teal'c," she said with a completely straight face.

Rodney looked down. He couldn't look at an _engaged_ woman like that… '_Darn you, Sam,'_ he thought to himself. '_Just take all the fun out of our relationship, why don't you?'_

Sam groaned and lightly scratched at her forearm. "Jay," she called. "What'd you do with the cream?"

"It's right over here, Colonel Carter," Jay said, grabbing the jar and walking over to her. "Here, allow me," he said with a shy little smile as he scooped some of the clear goop out with his fingers. Before Sam could protest, Jay began gently slathering it on her rash. "That enough?" he asked a moment later, his hand still on her arm.

She smiled politely and nodded. "Thank you." He didn't remove his hand. "You can go now," she said after a pause.

"Right!" Jay snapped out of whatever fantasy he was having. "Sorry." He attempted to remove his hand, but could not. "Umm…I think I'm--I'm stuck," he said, trying to pull away but not succeeding.

Sam's eyebrows rose substantially. "Jay, what did you do?" she cried, struggling to yank her arm back.

"Oh, no." Jay looked at the jar in his hand and then brought it up to his nose and sniffed it.

"Jay…"

"I think… I-I must've grabbed Radek's new adhesive gel by mistake!" he cried, dropping the jar onto the table in horror.

"You mean we're _glued_ to each other?" Sam asked, horrified.

Jay gulped and nodded.

Rodney started snickering.

"Shut up, McKay," Sam growled. "Why don't you be helpful and go get Radek? Tell him I'll have his head if he doesn't have a solvent that works on this."

Unfortunately, Radek _hadn't_ bothered to create a solvent for his new superglue yet and estimated its development at a minimum of forty-eight hours. So Sam and Jay had to walk down to the infirmary together, where Carson was able to use a scalpel and successfully separate them without too much damage.

"I take it this is why you sent him to us?" Rodney asked as Carson bandaged up Sam's arm.

"Very good, McKay!" she said patronizingly. "You're smarter than you look."

"Smarter than you," he shot back with a grin.

"What makes you say that?" she asked wryly.

"_I_ didn't get myself glued to _Felger_."

XXXXXX

Eleven days after the chickenpox outbreak, Carson "unquarantined" John, but said that he didn't want him to go off-world for a few more days yet, that his immune system needed to fully recover. So John was reduced to staying home and eventually wound up in Radek's lab, reading some proposed plan for maximizing the shield capabilities.

Jay was in the lab as well, studying some strange liquid that had been brought back by Colonel Lorne's team. He decided to run it through the gas chromatograph and carefully carried it across the room. Suddenly he tripped over something, probably his own foot, and the small beaker in his hand tipped, sending the contents pouring out onto Sheppard's head. "Omigosh, Colonel, I'm so sorry!" Jay gushed. "It was an accident! I'm so sorry!"

John reached a hand up to touch the wet spot on his head. He frowned and then turned to the scientist who was hovering over him, still apologizing. "Just get me a towel or something, Felger," he said, waving the man off. "I'll be fine." Jay turned to run off and find a paper towel when he suddenly heard a faint crackling noise. John simultaneously smelled something burning. "What's that smell?" he asked, sniffing around.

Radek and Jay saw the smoke coming from John' perfectly tousled hair at the same time. "Colonel!" Zelenka cried. "Don't move!"

John stiffened. "What? What?!"

Jay grabbed a pitcher of water off the desk and dumped it over Sheppard's head. There was a hissing noise as the water doused the acidic effect of the chemical.

John spluttered as he shook the water from his eyes. "Felger, what the--"

"Umm…Colonel," Jay began, eyes wide.

"It was an accident, remember that," Radek said, holding up his hands.

"Oh, my _gosh_, Radek, it's blo--mmf!" Jay couldn't finish, as Zelenka clapped a hand over his mouth.

"It's what?" John asked worriedly. "Radek, what the hell did you do to my hair?" He jumped up and began searching for something shiny.

"It was not me, it was Felger," Radek answered, nodding his head toward the other scientist who was backing away in fear.

John finally found a CD and held it up to see his reflection. When he shrieked like a girl, Jay crawled under one of the tables. Not only had the chemical left a nice little bald spot on the top of his head, but it had, in combination with the water, turned his hair blond. Platinum blond.


	25. Jay Felger Must Die

**Author's Note**: I forgot to list in my disclaimer that Walter is not mine. I wish he was though, so I could snuggle wif him and pet his little bald head and have him whisper sweet things in my ear like, "unscheduled off-world activation" and "chevron seven locked." :D

* * *

**Eight Years Old - 2014**

_"When I was growing up it was hard to be happy. Kids knocked the books out my hand and make fun of my acne, give me a wedgie while they throw spitballs at me, and stuff me in my own locker and laugh at me. Oh, you think that's real funny? 'Cause I'm 5 foot with huge feet and I dress crummy and all the school bullies want to just take my lunch money. Uh… C'mon, man... I only got a dollar twenty." - KJ-52, "Revenge of the Nerds" _

Zelenka just barely managed to keep John from killing poor Jay, who had fainted dead away underneath the desk. John quickly stole himself a baseball cap and tried his best to keep his hair tucked up into it. Only a few people seemed to notice and, wisely, they kept their mouths shut. That is, until the team's meeting with Weir later that evening. Elizabeth found it odd that Sheppard was wearing a hat given how touchy he was about his hair. "I know the cap looks cool," she said, opening her folder, "but we're _indoors_, Colonel."

Sheppard frowned, but at Elizabeth's persistent gaze, sighed and reluctantly pulled off the ball cap.

There were several muffled snickers around the table; the only one who actually laughed out loud was Rodney.

A smirk crossed Ronon's face and he joked, "You know, blond's not really your color."

"Shut up, Ronon," John growled, glaring daggers at the bigger man. If it were Rodney, he probably would have pounded him later, but this was _Ronon_.

"Is this part of some mid-life crisis?" Elizabeth teased, trying to hide her amusement.

John found nothing funny. "If it were, I would buy a sports car, not _destroy_ my hair."

"Care to tell us what happened, then?" she asked.

"Felger happened," he grumbled.

There were "ah"s of understanding all around the table.

"How long is he going to be here?" Rodney inquired.

"Well," Elizabeth said, leaning forward in her chair, "he's here on a one-month trial visit, which ends next week. I need a consensus from the senior staff on whether or not we want him to stay here. So…" She turned to John and Rodney. "Do we want to keep him?"

The two men emphatically cried "No!" at the same time.

Elizabeth nodded, not terribly surprised.

"What does Radek say?" Rodney thought to ask.

"Well, when I brought up the subject last night, he said something that, once translated and censored, equated to 'I want that idiot the heck out of my lab.'"

"So, we're agreed then?" John asked anxiously.

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes, John. We'll send him home at the beginning of next week."

John nodded with a pleased smile, then he asked, "In the meantime, I request permission to make an emergency trip back to Earth to get hair dye."

Elizabeth tried her best not to smirk; blond hair would only constitute an "emergency" in John Sheppard's world. "Request denied," she answered.

John's eyebrows went up. "Why?" he whined.

"John, you know our ZPM's low; we have to conserve power. I'm sorry, but your hair will just have to wait."

John crossed his arms and made a show of sulking.

"You know," Rodney said, staring at John's light hair with fascination, "this might not be all bad…"

John shot him a sarcastic look. "Oh, please tell me how this is good."

"Well, they say that blonds have more fun," Rodney answered with a grin.

Sheppard rolled his eyes and resumed pouting. When he felt Rodney _petting_ his hair, John slapped the man's hand away. "Don't touch it, you freak of nature!" he said, rolling his chair a few inches away from McKay's. "That was _beyond_ disturbing. I mean, I know you have a freakish obsession with blonds…"

"Oh, am I _that_ transparent?" Rodney asked with dripping sarcasm. "I _want_ you, I _need_ you. Oh, baby, oh, baby." He rolled his eyes.

John continued to look at Rodney with the same bothered expression, then quickly rolled his chair another few inches away.

Elizabeth gave McKay one of her glares. "Rodney…"

"What is going _on_?" Ronon asked at nearly the same time as Weir's reprimand. For once, Ronon looked nearly as confused as poor Teyla, who wasn't very good at catching sarcasm.

"Aw, come on, it's a _movie_!" Rodney explained. "Please don't insult my honor by thinking that I would _ever_ shack up with Colonel Flyboy, blond or otherwise."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to try to steer the conversation back to an appropriate topic, but John spoke first. "Then why don't you protect said honor by telling us what movie?"

"Oh… I don't, umm…" Rodney looked up to Elizabeth for help and she merely shrugged; he had gotten himself into this mess. He glanced back at John, who was still looking at him expectantly. "_Ten Things I Hate About You_," Rodney mumbled at last.

"And you were watching that, why?" John asked with a smirk.

"Aren't you the one who insulted the entire genre of romantic comedy?" Elizabeth queried.

"I don't watch chick flicks," he assured them. "Ever. You know that. But there's something about Mary--" Rodney realized what he'd said when Elizabeth and John began chuckling. "Oh, come _on_!"

The two aliens in the room were still as confused as could be, but decided perhaps it was better not knowing. "I do believe our original intent for this meeting was to discuss our upcoming mission," Teyla reminded everyone after a moment.

"Yes, it was," Elizabeth said with a nod, grateful for the prompt. "John, would you care to start?"

"Can I put the hat back on so McKay will stop staring?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, John."

XXXXXX

After returning from a very boring off-world mission and finishing her post-op medical exam, Evie wandered into the rec room, looking for some company. She found Ronon teaching John and Rodney what appeared to be a Satedan version of poker. "You boys having fun?" she asked, approaching the table around which they were seated.

"Loads of fun," Rodney answered sulkily. "I already owe Ronon a million dollars and a Ferrari."

"You poor dear," Evie soothed sarcastically, then stole a peek at his cards. "Nice jacks."

"Hey!" He pulled the cards against his chest and shot her a dirty look.

"They're called 'gnomes,'" Ronon corrected.

"What else does he have?" John asked with a grin.

"Don't tell him!" Rodney begged. "I owe _him_ a car, too!"

Evie was about to lie and say that McKay had a two, a three, and a nine(or whatever they were called in this game), but she stopped when she noticed the baseball cap John was wearing. "What's with the hat, John?" Since the only other people in the room were Ronon and Rodney, she decided to drop the "sir" routine.

"Nothing," he answered, shooting glares at the other two men that screamed "don't you say a word."

"It looks silly," Evie commented.

"Yeah, well, your face looks silly," he shot back.

Taking a step towards him, Evie noticed that the hair poking out from underneath the cap looked lighter than normal. A _lot_ lighter. "What the heck…" She reached over and quickly snatched the hat off his head, the sight of so much blond rendering her facial expression to that of a startled goldfish. "Wh-what… What _possessed_ you?!" she finally managed.

"I didn't do anything; it was that idiot Felger!" he cried, embarrassed all over again.

Evie nodded slowly, still staring at the tousled blond spikes in disbelief. A few seconds later, though, her shock turned into amusement. She snickered, but tried to control it for his sake. Unfortunately, she'd never been good at stifling her mirth, and finally let out an appreciative laugh.

"Oh, yes. I just _knew_ you'd be sympathetic," John said with great annoyance.

Evie laughed some more in response and John reached for the ballcap, which Evie quickly hid behind her back. "Oh, come on, this is hilarious," she insisted.

"Not to me; now give me back the hat."

With her mischievous grin, Evie shook her head and then dodged out of his way when he made another grab for it. When he got out of his chair and started chasing her, she tossed the hat to Ronon, who was enjoying John's predicament very much.

"Over here!" the big man taunted, waving the cap in Sheppard's direction.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate all of you?" John muttered, grabbing at Ronon's raised arm. Ronon laughed as he threw it back to Evie.

"Evangeline Marie, give me back the damn hat!" he cried, again attempting to seize her and again narrowly missing. However, as his legs were longer than hers, he caught up to her as she tried to run to the far side of the room. When she felt him grab ahold of her from behind, she clutched the cap to her chest and tried to wiggle free. It wasn't as if she could hold it out of his reach like Ronon did; John had a good ten inches on her. "Give it back or else," he growled, his hands trying to pry the hat from her fingers.

Evie just giggled and continued squirming. "Or else what?" she teased.

Realizing the cozy embrace that they had gotten into, he murmured next to her ear, "This is just one of your devious plots to get me close to you, isn't it?"

Evie laughed and leaned all her weight forward, still trying to keep the hat from him. "Worked, didn't it?"

The sound of a man clearing his throat menacingly startled them both, as well as Rodney and Ronon, who were watching the struggle with amused smirks. The four of them turned to see Colonel Caldwell standing in the entrance to the large room. "Colonel, Captain," he said sternly, with a disapproving glare to match his tone.

John quickly let go of Evie and she fell forward onto the floor with a soft grunt.

"What was that about?" Caldwell asked.

"She took my hat, sir," John said, reaching a hand down to pull Evie to her feet.

Caldwell sighed and gave Evie a critical stare. "Captain, give him back his hat before we all go blind."

John frowned and bit his tongue before he sneered, "That's pretty rich coming from a _bald_ man."

Evie reluctantly handed the hat to John and he quickly put it back on. In an attempt to soothe Caldwell and hopefully make him forget what he had just seen, she suggested, "Why don't you play cards with Rodney, Colonel? With any luck, you'll win a Porsche."

XXXXXX

"I'm on your team, right?" Jay asked nervously.

John grinned. "Sorry, Felger. This is a free-for-all," he informed Jay as he poured the red paintballs into the hopper of the scientist's gun. "The winner is the last man standing."

Jay's eyes widened. "Ho-how do I know that you're not all gonna gang up on me 'cause I'm the new guy?"

John closed the lid of the hopper. "You don't," he answered with a smirk, placing the gun in the worried scientist's arms.

Jay gulped and nodded.

"Have you ever fired one of these before?" John asked, picking up his own gun.

"No," Jay answered, "but isn't it just point and shoot?"

John nodded. "See, you'll be fine," he assured. Now why don't you shoot at that tree over there and get a feel for the gun?"

Jay turned the weapon awkwardly and aimed at the trunk of the tree seven feet away. When he pulled the trigger, nothing happened. Jay brought the weapon back in front of him and looked at it critically.

"Try shaking it," John said, stepping forward to assist. "Sometimes the paintballs get jamm--"

Pow!

John cried out as the paintball slammed into his chest at a speed of three hundred feet per second. "_Damn_, Felger!" he cursed. "I said _shake_ it, not _shoot_ it!"

Jay quickly put the weapon down. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized profusely. "It was an accident! I'm _so_ sorry!" He attempted to get a look at the wound and John yelped.

"Don't _touch_ it!" he cried, holding his shirt away from his skin and noting that the fabric had a little bit of blood on it.

"I'm really sorry!"

"Just get your gear and find a hiding place," he ground out.

Jay nodded and picked up the gun, grabbing a mask as well. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah," John growled. "You better hope to God that I don't find you out there."

XXXXXX

"We need a medic!" Felger cried as he limped out of the jumper bay. "I've been injured!"

"Oh, shut up, Felger," John said, rolling his eyes as he and the other players exited the bay as well.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore," Jay said, shooting the pilot an evil glare.

"Aww." John pretended to look hurt then retorted with a smirk, "Break my heart some other way." He turned to put his paintball gear away and left Jay to hobble to the infirmary all by himself.

"Carson," Jay groaned when he finally found the doctor, "I need medical attention!"

"Good lord," Carson gasped when he saw all the red paint on the scientist. "What on earth happened to you?" He quickly got Jay onto an examination table and ordered the man to remove his shirt.

"I was _wounded_ in the line of _duty_!" Felger proclaimed proudly as he took off his shirt.

Carson looked at the man's chest curiously when he saw only several (albeit severe-looking) purple welts. "I thought you said you were shot?" he asked quizzically.

"I was!"

"Well, there was blood on your shirt, but no bullet wounds on your body."

"Umm… It wasn't all my blood?" Jay tried hopefully.

Carson frowned and examined the "blood" on Jay's garment. "Dr. Felger," he sighed. "This is paint. Red paint. Just what are you trying to do, coming in and worrying me like that?"

"But I _am_ wounded!" he insisted, pointing to the hole in his pants. There was red paint around the injured area of his thigh just below his hip, as well as a darker red substance.

"Now that _does_ look like blood," Carson said as he took a closer look.

"I _told_ you!"

"Son, playing paintball hardly constitutes 'duty,'" Carson said with a sigh. "Now, off with your pants."

Jay blushed and complied.

"Good grief." The paintball had taken off a quarter-sized chunk of skin and left the injury ringed with a nice shade of purple. "How did you get shot so badly?"

"Colonel Sheppard did it!" Jay accused bitterly.

Carson tried his best not to chuckle, but didn't quite succeed.

"How is that funny?" Jay asked, deeply insulted. "I looked up to him! He's practically a hero to me! I've never done anything to him--" Jay missed Carson's eye-roll at this statement, "--and then he goes and does _this_!"

When Jay looked back up at him, Carson nodded and feigned a deeply sympathetic expression. "Aye, that Colonel Sheppard is a baddun, alright."

"And just what did he do this time?"

Carson turned around in the direction of the female voice. He saw Elizabeth holding her little boy. "Ah, Elizabeth! I nearly forgot you were bringing Lukas by today."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. Then she noticed Jay. "Is there something wrong with Dr. Felger?" she asked worriedly.

"I've been _wounded_," Jay announced mournfully.

"Jay, you were shot with a paintball," Carson said, attempting to hide his irritation. "Now, can I hand you over to one of our very capable nurses to get you fixed up?"

"You're not going to take care of me yourself, Doctor?" Jay asked with puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh, bloody he-eck…" Carson changed his words mid-curse when he saw Lukas staring at him curiously through his thick-lensed toddler glasses. "Elizabeth, why don't you sit down by that examination table over there," he said, pointing. "I'll be with you both in a few minutes."

Elizabeth hid her amusement and nodded. "Of course, Carson."

Five minutes later, Carson walked over to where Elizabeth was waiting with Lukas in her lap. "Hi, Doctah Beckett!" Lukas greeted with all his two-year-old exuberance. He was always very formal with adults, a behavior he had picked up from his parents.

"How are you today, Lukas?" Carson asked, smiling at the toddler.

"I good!"

Carson nodded then asked Elizabeth, "How has he been doing?"

"Better," Elizabeth answered. "We've been having him sit up more, like you recommended."

"Good, good."

"And the other day when he was playing on the floor he sat up, _unsupported_, for a few minutes," she said proudly.

"Lukas, that's great!" Carson said with a broad smile. "High five?" He held his hand up and Lukas slapped it. "Good job."

Lukas Weir-Zelenka was an adorable little boy who took after both his mother and his father. The glasses resting on his slightly pointed nose, however, made him look more like Zelenka. He had his father's light blue eyes and his mother's smile. The boy's short, straight hair was darker than Radek's, but lighter than Elizabeth's. He loved to laugh and he loved to be held. Unfortunately, Lukas wasn't like the rest of the children in Atlantis. When he had reached his first birthday and still couldn't sit up and could barely hold his head up, Elizabeth and Radek had consulted Carson, who had sent them to an Earth specialist. He had been diagnosed with Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetically-caused disease that results in severe muscle weakness.

For treatment, Carson was giving him a shot a week of a fairly new drug that helped to make sure Lukas didn't have any trouble breathing. Other than that, there wasn't too much that could be done for him. The specialists on Earth said that as he got older, he'd be able to sit up by himself much more often, though he'd never be able to walk. Navigating a wheelchair in Atlantis would be difficult with all the stairs, but Elizabeth and Radek had decided that they would get him one when he was old enough and strong enough to operate it. For now, Lukas enjoyed being held all the time and getting carried everywhere.

"Ya gonna hear my heart wif your stefscope?" Lukas asked with a smile. He always loved it when Carson would let him listen to his own heartbeat.

Carson nodded, amused that Lukas could remember what the instrument was called. A blessing about SMA was that it was only a physical affliction; Lukas's mind was as sharp as could be, especially considering who his parents were.

After listening to Lukas's heart and breathing, Carson let the boy listen while he went to get Lukas's medicine. He returned a moment later with the injection, a band-aid, an alcohol swab, and a small lollipop. The toddler's eyes lit up when he saw the candy.

"For me?" he asked, hopeful.

"Aye," Carson said with a smile. "If you're a good boy and let me give you your shot."

Keeping his eyes on the reward, Lukas nodded and said, "Otay."

Carson cleansed the skin on the boy's arm and then injected Lukas with the utmost gentleness. Lukas winced but didn't cry out; he was getting used to the pricks by now. When he was done, Carson disposed of the syringe and handed the lollipop to Lukas.

Unwrapping it eagerly, Lukas looked up at Carson and said, "_Děkuji_, Doctah Beckett!"

Carson looked to Elizabeth for a translation.

"'Thank you,'" she told him with a smile.

"Ah. Well, you're very welcome," Carson replied.

Lukas smiled and stuck the candy in his mouth.

XXXXXX

"I hope you enjoyed your stay with us, Dr. Felger," Elizabeth said, clasping the scientist's hands in the control room as he prepared to leave. "Perhaps you can come back sometime."

"Oh, could I?" Jay asked happily.

Elizabeth regretted giving the invitation, but answered politely, "We'll see. Know that your contributions and presence will be missed."

"I'll miss you, too," he said. He started to give her a hug, but Elizabeth quickly put her hands up to stop him before realizing that she was being rude. Noting his upset expression, she looked for something or someone to diffuse the awkward situation.

"Elizabeth!" Rodney called, striding quickly to where she stood.

Silently blessing McKay for his timing, she gave Jay a parting nod and then turned to her favorite astrophysicist. "Yes, Rodney?"

A slightly worried look on his face, Rodney took her hand and led her away from the balcony, to where she could no longer see the Gate. When Elizabeth didn't hear the chevrons locking behind her, she called over her shoulder to Chuck, "Dial Earth." Then she turned back to Rodney, who was still standing there looking sheepish. She gave him a prompting look.

"Umm, so guess what the twins did yesterday?" he asked and then went on before Elizabeth even had a chance to open her mouth. "They painted Aiden's toenails blue. Hehe. Boy, was Sheppard mad. Where's Lukas? He's such a cutie. Ooh! Have you seen the power levels? They're holding steady and the ZedPM…"

Elizabeth couldn't make head or tails of what was wrong with Rodney as he continued to rant quickly and nervously, shifting his weight like a teenage girl who needed to pee.

John, on the other hand, knew exactly why Rodney was so anxious. Sneaking stealthily into the Control Room, he pressed a twenty dollar bill into Chuck's hand and whispered, "I was never here."

Chuck nodded slowly and watched as John made his way down the stairs as silently and quickly as he could, darting through the Gate only a few seconds before it closed.

XXXXXX

After two hours of trying to reach Sheppard over his radio, Elizabeth sent one of the SF's to see if perhaps he was off-radio in his quarters. When the young Lieutenant said that Colonel Sheppard was not there, Elizabeth sought out Rodney, who would surely know where John was. When she found him, he was working with Radek on something very delicate and technical-looking. "Rodney?" she said gently when neither man seemed to notice her presence.

McKay made a grunt that sounded like a "Huh?" but he didn't glance up.

"Have you seen Colonel Sheppard?" she asked, not fazed by his usual work-first, people-second attitude.

The tool in Rodney's hand slipped a little and he answered quickly, "I don't know where he is and neither does Chuck."

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow suspiciously and then said, "Thank you, Rodney. That's all I needed to know."

Rodney winced as she left; they were busted. In his defense, Rodney _had_ told Sheppard that he was a terrible liar…

"Good afternoon, Chuck," Elizabeth greeted a little too sweetly.

"Afternoon, ma'am," the tech replied with a nervous smile.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Colonel Sheppard is, would you?" she asked with an air of easy indifference.

"He was never here, ma'am," Chuck deadpanned.

Elizabeth sighed and tried not to smile at the effort John had gone to in order to cover his tracks. "You can keep whatever it is he's bribing you with if you'll just tell me where he is," she baited.

Truly caring more about lying to Elizabeth than about keeping the money, Chuck began, "He wen--" but was cut off by the Gate's chevrons beginning to light up. "Off-world activation," he said, rolling back over to check to the laptop for an IDC. After a few seconds, he announced, "It's Earth, ma'am."

Elizabeth's eyebrows went up in confusion and she hoped that nothing was wrong back at good old Stargate Command. She ordered Chuck to open the video channel and saw Walter sitting in the dull gray space that was the Control Room of the SGC. "Atlantis, this is Stargate Command, requesting that you lower the shield for an incoming traveler."

Elizabeth nodded to Chuck, who pressed the button to lower the Gate shield. "And just who is it we're receiving?" she asked.

There was a pause and then the familiar voice of her missing military commander. "Promise you won't shoot me?"

Elizabeth stared at the screen, perplexed. "John?"

"Hi," he answered sheepishly as he stepped into view of the camera.

"How did you get over there?"

"I kind of…gated back with Felger…"

Elizabeth pursed her lips and decided against chewing him out from across the galaxy; there'd be plenty of time for that when he was back where he belonged. "I think we need to have a talk," she finally replied.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered. "Looking forward to it."

Elizabeth watched him step out of view and she descended the fancy steps to meet him when he walked through the Gate half a minute later. She was about to ask what was so damn important that he felt the need to sneak back to Earth without permission, when the answer dawned on her. She reached a hand up and removed the silly-looking baseball cap from his head, not terribly surprised to see John's unruly hair looking darker and just about natural. "Shopping trip?" she asked with a disapproving look.

"Yeah…"

"Yeah. _Long_ talk."

"Yes, ma'am."


	26. In Which Aiden, John, and Ronon get an E

A/N 1: The second half of this chapter was inspired by iamdragonrider's story "A Personal Favor", which I highly recommend. :-D

A/N 2: Sorry for the sucky song selection, but I couldn't find anything else and it sorta kinda fits the second half. ;)

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six - In Which Aiden, John, and Ronon get an Education, Education, Education**

**Nine Years Old - 2015**

"Oh, you can't tell me it's not worth trying for. I can't help it, there's nothing I want more. Yeah, I would fight for you, I'd lie for you, walk the wire for you. Yeah, I'd die for you. You know it's true. Everything I do, I do it for you." - Bryan Adams, "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"

"Really?" John asked with a smile, pausing in his perusal of a mission report. "She's pregnant?"

"Yeah!" McKenzie said, grinning. "She's due in March. Guess I should go ahead and marry her now, huh?"

"That might be a good idea," John answered with a laugh.

Aiden, who was sitting in a chair beside his father and had heard the conversation asked, "Hey, Uncle John?"

"Yes, Aiden?" John asked, flipping through the file.

"Where do babies come from?"

John nearly dropped the folder. For heaven's sake, the child was barely nine! John hadn't found out until he was ten.

"Well, good luck with that, sir," McKenzie said with a grin, quickly leaving the room.

"Well, you see…it's, uhh…" Aiden looked at him expectantly.

After watching John flounder for an explanation for several moments, Aiden patted his father's arm. "It's okay if you don't know, Uncle John. You don't have to make something up."

This comment had John trying so hard not to laugh that he was shaking. After collecting himself for a moment, a mischievous grin slowly formed on his lips. "You know what?" he said. "That's a perfect question for a scientist like Rodney. Why don't you go ask him?" Aiden nodded and began walking down the corridor toward Rodney's lab. John breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his son go. Then he grinned again. Poor Rodney. Poor, poor Rodney.

"Uncle Rodney, where do babies come from?"

The calculator fell from Rodney's hand, clattering onto the floor. "Wh-what?" Surely he had heard incorrectly.

"Uncle John told me to ask you," Aiden explained innocently.

"Oh he did, did he?" Rodney muttered. "Babies… Babies come from, erm… Well, when a lady moose and a guy moose…there are birds…a-and bees and, umm… Look, I'm really busy right now," he lied, stooping to pick up the calculator. Aiden frowned and put his hands on his hips. Quickly searching the room, Rodney was relieved to see Zelenka enter the lab. "Oh, look! There's Radek. Go ask him."

Aiden sighed and trotted over to the Czech. "Uncle Radek, can you tell me where babies come from?"

Zelenka's eyebrows shot up and he cried out a startled expletive in his native tongue. Aiden looked up at him with inquisitive hazel eyes. "That is, ehh…" Sex ed really wasn't Radek's thing. "That is…" Suddenly an idea struck him. "That is an excellent question for a doctor. Why don't you go ask Carson?"

With a frown Aiden trudged out of the lab and headed for the infirmary. He hoped that he'd actually get an answer this time. What could possibly be so horrible about making babies? Entering the infirmary, Aiden found Carson sitting at his desk, writing something. "Hey, Carson?"

Carson looked up and smiled when he saw the boy. "Hello there, Aiden. What can I do for you?" he asked, taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"You can tell me where babies come from," Aiden answered frustratedly.

Carson choked on his coffee. After coughing and spluttering for a moment, he returned his attention to the boy, blushing slightly. Thinking quickly, he got up and walked over to his bookshelf. Selecting a thick anatomy book, he handed it to Aiden. "I think this should answer all your questions," he said with a smile.

Aiden sighed heavily. While both his parents were avid readers, he hadn't received the bookworm gene. "I have to read this whole thing?" he lamented.

Carson shook his head with an amused smile. "Oh, no, chapter twenty-three should suffice." Aiden frowned at the book. "Or," Carson said, noting the boy's aversion to the textbook, "you could simply ask someone else."

Aiden groaned. Why wouldn't anyone give him a straight answer? "Thank you, Carson," he said with forced politeness as he handed the book back to the doctor. He left the infirmary and walked down to the mess hall. His eyes lit up when he saw Ronon eating lunch. He quickly walked up to the large man. "Ronon!"

Ronon looked up from his enormous sandwich. "Yeah?"

"Do you know where babies come from?"

Ronon smirked, then nodded. "Sit."

Aiden smiled triumphantly and parked his caboose in the chair next to Ronon. Then his eyes continued to widen until they were the size of small saucers as the Satedan proceeded to tell Aiden exactly where babies came from.

XXXXXX

"John…" Evie called from the bed and then let out a pained groan. "I need you to be my superhero."

"Do I have to wear a cape?" he teased.

"You certainly _can_." She paused and curled herself up into a tighter ball. "So, will you do it?"

He smiled sweetly. "Anything for you, Evie."

"Good boy," she said, nodding approvingly, then made her request just as the door whooshed open. "I'm out of tampons."

John let out what could only be described as a yelp as Aiden wandered in through the open door.

"Mom, what's a tampon?" he asked, having caught the very end of the conversation.

Evie sighed heavily, then looked back at her husband. "Well, sir, you can do me that favor or I'll go and you can stay here and answer Aiden's question."

John was out the door faster than The Flash. When he reached the infirmary, he stood a few feet away from where Carson was checking on a patient. "Psssst, Carson," he whispered.

Carson slipped his stethoscope back into the pocket of his lab coat. "Yes, Colonel?" he said, walking over to Sheppard. "How may I help you?"

John took Carson's arm and pulled him out of earshot of anyone else. "I need something for Evie," he said softly.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than 'something', Colonel."

"She's out of her…_woman things_," he said, wincing as he said the words.

Carson fought not to smirk. "A'right. What kind did she say she wanted?"

"There are _kinds_?!" John whimpered.

Carson rolled his eyes. "Yes, Colonel, there are many kinds," he answered. "Well, two basic kinds, actually, and then a vast array of particular brands. Did she say what she wanted?"

Crap, he had forgotten the name! Never having been married before, this was the first time he'd ever run into this situation. "I don't…remember… The kind that go--" He made a few awkward, pointing hand motions.

"They're called 'tampons', Colonel," Carson explained somewhat condescendingly.

"Yeah, those!" John said, nodding.

Carson frowned and replied, "We just ran out this morning, Colonel. I'm terribly sorry."

"Out? You _can't_ be out!" John growled. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, we should be getting a shipment when the Daedalus gets here in two days," Carson answered, "but if Evie is in need of them now, you can be the loving husband and brave Wal-Mart."

"We have a Wal-Mart?"

Carson rolled his eyes. "On _Earth_, Colonel!"

"Oh! Right, right," John nodded. "Oh, crap…"

"What?"

"I'll have to ask Elizabeth for permission."

"And just what are you going to tell her?" Carson asked with an amused smile. "'My wife has run out of feminine hygiene products and I'm off to buy her some more'?"

"I'll just tell her that Evie's in pain… Everyone else is busy… A happy soldier is a productive soldier… I'll think of something," he said as he turned to leave.

After explaining why the ranking military officer of the expedition was schlepping for a captain, Sheppard had finally received permission, and had stepped through the Gate back to Earth. He'd merely told General Landry that he was going to the store and didn't detail his shopping list.

Once he reached the nearest Wal-Mart, poor John was faced with half an aisle of choices. "How can there be so many?" he agonized as his eyes scanned the shelves. "What's the difference?"

"There are several differences, actually," a female voice said from behind him. "But being a guy, I'm sure you don't want to know them." John turned around and saw a teenage sales clerk standing there. She'd apparently been restocking one of the shelves on the opposite side of the aisle. "Emergency shopping for your girlfriend?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Yeah…" John nodded.

"Well, did she tell you what to get?" the girl asked.

John pointed at one of the pink boxes. "Those things."

The girl was obviously trying not to smile. "Okay… Did she tell you what brand she wanted?"

John shook his head. "I thought it was going to be either 'this or that', not…" He gestured at the array of products. "…_all this_!"

"Well, you can do 'eeny, meeny, miney, moe,'" she suggested. When John frowned she muttered, "Sorry. Most guys who don't know what their woman wants just go with the most expensive one, thinking it must be best."

"But that's not right?"

The girl shook her head. "You want to make her happy, you get her these," she said, selecting a box off the shelf and holding it out to him. When John looked at it like it was toxic waste, she sighed. "It's not gonna bite you."

John took it gingerly, holding it only with his thumb and index finger. "Now how many boxes is she gonna need? Three? Four?"

The girl laughed. "If she's stocking up for all year, maybe," she answered with a smile. "Now, if that's all you need, I can check you out up front."

"Yes, that's all," he said, and shoved the offensive box back at her. The girl rolled her eyes and led him to the checkout counter.

XXXXXX

When John got back, he tried his best to make it back to Evie's quarters without being seen. Unfortunately, he was spotted by Rodney. Seeing the Wal-Mart sack, he asked, "What's that?"

"Nothing!" John said, a little too quickly.

Suspicious, the scientist walked over to the pilot. "Did you go to Earth and restock your chocolate supply without telling me?" Rodney asked, grabbing the bag. Once he looked inside and saw the box that definitely didn't contain candy, he cried, "Eww!" and flung it up in the air, causing the box to fall out of the bag and land right in front of a pair of big feet.

"What's this, Sheppard?" Ronon asked, picking up the box as Rodney beat a hasty retreat.

"_Not _chocolate!" John said and made a grab for the box.

Ronon easily held it out of Sheppard's reach, then stared at it for a moment before shaking it next to his ear and listening to the contents rattle. Still unable to identify it, he sniffed it. "Smells like…woman…" he observed. John winced. "So, what is it?"

"It's nothing," John said, trying once more to snatch it from the bigger man.

Ronon sidestepped the colonel and replied, "Well it's definitely _something_, or you wouldn't want it so bad." He read the label to himself and then asked, "What's a tampon, Sheppard?"

"Shh! Not so loud!" John hissed.

"I'm gonna shout it if you don't tell me what it is."

John's face paled. "You wouldn't."

Ronon did and the word echoed through the corridor.

"Okay, okay!" John cried and grabbed the bigger man by the dreadlocks, pulling his head down so he could whisper an explanation.

Ronon rolled his eyes when John was done. "C'mon, Sheppard, what's it _really_ for?"

"No, really, that's it," John said, grabbing the box from him.

Ronon gave Sheppard a very strange look. "And _you_ have a box of these, why?"

"They're not for _me_!" John cried. "They're for E--" John spotted Chuck walking toward them and hurriedly cut his comment short. "They're for someone else."

"Whatever you say, Sheppard," Ronon said with a smirk as he walked away.

John scowled and quickly made his way to Evie's quarters.

"Took you long enough," she groaned.

"Carson was out," John sulked. "So I had to go all the way to frickin' Wal-Mart! And there was infinity-plus-one different kinds! So I asked the lady which one to get. And then Rodney thought it was _chocolate_ and when he found out it wasn't, he tossed them onto the floor. And then _Ronon_ wanted to know what they were, and I had to _tell_ him!"

Evie tried her best to suppress her laughter, but failed miserably.

"Well, I'm glad _you_ find it funny," John pouted, tossing the box at her.

"You're my hero, John," she said sweetly and looked at what he had gotten her. "Ooh, top of the line. Go John."

John nodded, glad that she was pleased. "Please don't make me do that ever again," he begged.

Evie got off the bed and kissed him. "I'll try my best," she promised, then kissed him again.


	27. Elementary School, My Dear Watson

**A/N: No, I didn't get culled by the Wraith or anything, Darth Real Life attacked is all. Sorry that this is so late, but it was a last minute insert. Many thanks to the world's greatest Commodore Norrington for her emergency betaing job!

* * *

**

**Nine Years Old - 2015**

_"Cruisin' on down Main Street. You're relaxed and feelin' good. (Yeah!) Next thing that you know you're seein' (Wha-ha-ha-hoo!) octopus in the neighborhood! Surfin' on a sound wave, swingin' through the stars. (Yeehaw!) Take a left at your intestine, take your second right past Mars on the Magic School Bus. Navigate a nostril. (Ah-choo!) Climb on the Magic School Bus. Spank a plankton, too, (Take that!) on our Magic School Bus. Raft a river of lava on the Magic School Bus. Such a fine thing to do! (Whoa!) So strap your bones right to the seat, come on in and don't be shy. (C'mon!) Just to make your day complete you might get baked into a pie on the Magic School Bus. Step inside -- it's a wilder ride! Come on, ride on the Magic School Bus!" - Peter Lurye, "Magic School Bus Theme" _

"Stop touching me!"

"I'm not touching you!"

"Yes you are! Uncle Rodney, he won't stop touching me!"

"Do _not_ make me come back there," Rodney warned as he continued flying a course to the mainland.

"Catie!! You're wearing _my_ shirt!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Boys have dibs on the treehouse!"

"You guys had it last time!"

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves…"

"I hafta pee!"

"Enough!" Rodney cried when he could stand the high-pitched voices no more. "I don't want to hear another peep from _any_ of you until we reach the mainland! Understand?"

The children all fell silent. When Aaron saw the grin slowly filling Aiden's face, he shook his head pleadingly. But Aiden couldn't help himself. "Peep," he said quietly.

The puddlejumper came to such a fast stop that the inertial dampeners couldn't fully compensate and several of the children were knocked out of their seats. Rodney whirled around and glared furiously at Aiden, who gulped as McKay continued to stare him down. When Aiden finally looked down, Rodney turned back around and continued flying. "Like father, like son," he muttered and then added, "This is the last time I ever fly the school bus."

Atlantis had hired a school teacher nearly four years ago to educate the children. Miss Sharon Jones had done a wonderful job starting with her two students, and was still managing just fine now with nine. The learning environment did have a sort of one-room schoolhouse feel to it, but the children loved it and were learning well, so it was deemed a success.

In addition to getting their basics from Ms. Jones, there were several members of the expedition with skills in a particular area who offered to work with the children once or twice a week. Dr. Bethany Croker, who had been dancing since she was five, held a simple ballet class once a week for any of the children who wanted to learn; Colonel Lorne, gifted painter that he was, helped them all move beyond the finger-painting stage of artwork; Dr. Amelia Bolton, the city's shy physical therapist, instructed the children in physical education by teaching them skills as well as team games; and Radek was eagerly waiting for the children to be old enough that he could help them start a science club.

Rodney had agreed to fly Sharon and her class out to the mainland for the "field trip" she'd been promising them, but unfortunately she had gotten a nasty virus the day of the trip. Rather than reschedule the outing, she had convinced Rodney that he could handle the nine precious children on his own, and that was why he now found himself sitting boredly by the jumper and watching the children eat the lunches that had been packed for them.

Having already finished her lunch, Jamie, who had just turned five, was looking at the clouds that were floating in the Lantean sky. "Uncle Rodney," she asked at last, "why do clouds stay in the sky?"

"Because that's where the evaporated water molecules form into the shapes we call clouds," he answered. "When the molecules condense on the ground, it's called fog."

"Why?"

Oh, how he hated that word coming from children. "Because that's just the way it is."

"Are you sure?" she asked innocently.

"Yes." He was losing patience.

"But how do you know?"

"Because I'm smarter than you are!" he finally told her in a less-than-polite tone.

Aiden frowned at Rodney's outburst. "Uncle John says you need to stop being so high on yourself," he informed the astrophysicist. "You didn't create the world, you know."

"Create, no. But I understand a hell of a lot more about it than he does," Rodney replied snippily.

Skylar gasped. "Uncle Rodney said a _bad word_!" she cried.

Rodney's eyes widened when he realized that he had indeed sworn in the presence of the children. "Please don't tell your mommy," he begged Skye.

"But you said a bad word!"

"Look, if you all promise not to tell your mommies and daddies, I'll…" He thought quickly. "I'll give you all chocolate!"

There was a collective "ooh!" and then Caitlyn spoke up. "_Lots_ of chocolate!"

Rodney threw Caitlyn his trademark look, the one that said, "duh." "_I'm_ your father; you don't count."

"Well, I'll just tell mommy then," she said with a devious smirk.

Rodney sighed. "Fine. Everybody gets chocolate when we get back to Atlantis."

"Yaaaay!" the kids cheered.

XXXXXX

After the children had eaten, they played toilet tag, an amusing variation of the traditional game, which Amelia had taught them, for about fifteen minutes. Then the boys decided that they wanted to go play in the treehouse that had been built by some of the Athosians who lived nearby. The little Athosian children were happy to share the small fortress that had been built in the branches of one of the sturdy trees. Unfortunately, the Atlantis boys weren't too keen on sharing it with the Atlantis girls; they claimed it was their "no girls allowed" clubhouse.

"You _girls_ can't go up there," Louie -- Atlantis's "problem child", spawn of Kavanagh and his one "conquest" on Atlantis before his death-- rudely informed Skylar and Jamie when they tried to follow the boys over to the treehouse. "It's only for us _boys_."

"But we wanna play dolls in the treehouse!" Jamie said, holding out her much-loved plush duck in the pink dress.

"Dolls are for babies!" Louie said, snatching the toy from Jamie's hands.

"Hey! Give that back!" Jamie cried, reaching for her beloved duck.

When Louie held it just out of her reach, Aiden grabbed one of the duck's legs and started pulling. "Give her her doll back, Louie," he said with a frown.

"Why should I?" Louie sneered, tugging harder. With a loud rip, the duck's head became separated from it's body and both boys fell over backwards.

When little Jamie saw what had happened to her doll, she started crying and ran over to McKay. "Uncle Rodney!" she sobbed. "Louie tore the head off my quackypatch doll!"

"Oh, um," Rodney replied, unsure how to respond to that. "Well, it's just a doll…"

Jamie clutched the beheaded duck to her chest and began crying louder.

"Okay! I'll fix it! Just _stop_ crying!" Rodney said, snatching the doll from her and returning to the jumper. He dug through his bag until he found Radek's unbeatable alien superglue. Jamie watched through teary eyes as Rodney attempted to reattach the duck's head. After squeezing the glue onto the duck's neck, he held the head firmly in place for ten seconds and then said, "There. Good as new," and handed it to her.

"Thank you, Uncle Rodney!" Jamie said with a big smile. When she tried to take the doll from him, however, he couldn't let go. "Uncle Rodney…" she frowned, tugging on it.

"Oh, you are kidding me!" Rodney cried, grabbing the doll with his other hand and yanking on it. After a minute, he dug in his pack again until he found a small pocket knife, which he then used to try to separate fabric from flesh. Unfortunately, this was the second, _stronger_ batch of the alien concoction, and now the only thing that could undo Zelenka's superglue was Zelenka's superglue solvent. Rodney sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have a toy duck stuck to his hand until they got back to Atlantis. "Radek, I am going to _kill_ you," he muttered.

Jamie giggled. "You're funny, Uncle Rodney."

Rodney rolled his eyes and said in an overly-sweet voice, "I'll take care of your ducky, okay? You go and play."

"Okay, Uncle Rodney. But I think Louie needs to go to timeout," Jamie suggested sagely.

Rodney looked over to where the boys were climbing the rope ladder up to the treehouse and nodded to Jamie. She smiled and then ran off to rejoin her friends.

Rodney walked over to where Louie was waiting to climb up after Kyle. "I don't think so, _buck_o," he said with a frown. "You need a timeout."

Louie looked at Rodney like he was crazy. "Do I look like a three-year-old?" he asked indignantly.

"No, but if you're going to act like one, I'm going to treat you like one," Rodney answered and then pointed to a short stump several yards away. "I want you to sit there until I come and get you." When Louie just looked at him in shock, Rodney ordered, "Go!" Louie nodded and quickly ran off towards the indicated stump.

"Kids…" Rodney muttered as he returned to the puddle jumper. He had just finished putting away Zelenka's damned glue when he heard a scream. He quickly looked up and saw Kyle lying at the base of the tree, starting to shriek hysterically.

Rodney jumped up and ran over to him, just barely beating Skylar and Rachel. Kyle was sobbing now and clutching his arm. "What happened?!" Rodney asked, looking up at the boys peering down from the treehouse.

"He fell!" Aiden called. "It was an accident!"

"Is he okay?" Aaron asked worriedly, already on his way down.

Looking at the unnatural angle of Kyle's left arm, Rodney had to wince. "No, I think he broke his arm."

Skye gasped at this and gently put a hand on her baby brother.

"Everybody get back in the jumper!" Rodney ordered. "We have to get him home." The boys began scrambling down the wiggling ladder and the girls ran for the jumper as Rodney tried to figure out the best way to carry Kyle without causing him further pain. And the stupid duck attached to his hand wasn't helping. When he lifted the boy into his arms and Kyle screamed again, Rodney barely managed to keep from cursing.

He carried the boy to the jumper and gently laid him on one of the seats in the back. Then he left him in the care of Rachel and Skylar while he ran up to the front to pilot the little ship.

When he could safely put the jumper on autopilot, he returned to the rear and counted children. Eight?! He had started out with _nine_! He counted again just to make sure. "Oh…crap! Where's Louie?!"

"Daddy," Dakota said with a giggle, "you left him on the stump."

XXXXXX

After hearing Rodney's unbelievable tale about fighting children, falling children, and _forgetting_ children, Elizabeth had sent him off to her husband to get the duck removed from his hand. And after allowing herself a laugh at the silly sight, of course. Then, because she needed to give Lukas a bath, she had asked John to stay in the Control Room and await the arrival of the two off-world teams that were due back that afternoon, with instructions to inform the Murphys of what had happened to their youngest son.

Lorne's team made it back from their reconnaissance mission with good results, and Donovan's team gated back about twenty minutes after that. As John descended the stairs to greet them, he grinned in amusement; both Summer and Evie were wearing long, salmon-colored robes and veils that almost completely covered their faces.

"Well, don't you two ladies look…taliban-y?" John teased with a grin.

Evie and Summer quickly yanked the veils off their faces. "Make sure the next team that visits that stupid planet is all _male_," Evie scowled.

"Bit misogynistic?" he asked.

"You have no idea," Summer replied.

"Hey, at least you didn't get married to anybody," John said. "McKay and Teyla still aren't talking to each other…"

Michael started to speak up but Summer elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow!" He rubbed his hurt side and shot his wife a look.

"Major?" John inquired suspiciously.

After dithering a moment, she said quietly, "All single women are taken and sold as prostitutes, sir…"

"…and?" John prompted.

Donovan jumped in with a smirk. "And since they firmly believed that Michael was my slave, and therefore a eunuch--" Michael winced "--I had to claim Murphy and Brooks as my wives to keep them out of the brothel."

John snickered a little, but managed to keep it together. "Well, you've got the makings of a very fine harem, Colonel," he joked with a grin.

When Michael laughed, Summer's elbow attacked his side again. "Anything exciting happen while we were gone, sir?" she asked, changing the subjects.

"Well…the Daedalus brought a large shipment of ice cream…and I finished my book," he announced and Summer nodded. "Oh! And Kyle broke his arm," he added this almost as an afterthought.

"What?!" Both parents voiced their concern in unison.

"Carson's fixing him up in the infirmary right now," John answered hurriedly. "Apparently he…fell out of a tree…"

Summer sighed heavily. "This is what we get for leaving the children with Rodney," she commented, shaking her head. "Thanks for the heads-up, Colonel," she said to John as she and Michael went to check on their poor baby.

No one spoke for a few seconds until Evie bowed exaggeratedly before Donovan and asked sarcastically, "Permission, oh exalted husband, to change out of this ridiculous getup?"

Donovan chuckled. "Away with you," he said, shooing her with his hands.

"I take it you had fun, Colonel?" John asked as if Evie started to walk away.

"The society _did_ have its perks," Donovan answered. "And you know what the best part was?"

"What?"

"The women were only allowed to speak when spoken to," he answered with a grin. "For a whole three days, we didn't have to listen to Brooks talk."

"I heard that!"

XXXXXX

As most of the parents went off-world at least once a week and were generally busy the rest of the time, Atlantis had also needed to come up with a means of childcare sometime after the eighth child had been born; previously, parents had simply asked a member of the expedition to watch their child when the need arose. After Chuck's daughter Jamie had entered the world, those with children were required to take shifts watching the wee ones of Atlantis. And, of course, those without children were welcome to help out as well.

Today, there were five little ones in the large room designated for the children and Evie completed the five-to-one ratio. Teyla had dropped off Terena so that she and Ronon could spar, Michael and Summer had gotten rid of their children so that they could have a moment's peace, and if Evie was there, Aiden had to be there. She was watching them from the chair near the door when John poked his head in.

"You by yourself?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Darn, 'cause I was gonna ask if you wanted to do something."

"Such as?"

"I hadn't decided yet."

Evie smiled and shook her head. "Can't. Sorry. I'm watching these _precious_ munchkins until dinnertime."

"Oh, you poor thing," he said sympathetically as he observed the five rowdy children.

"You know, you're welcome to stay and help babysit," she suggested, batting her eyes at him.

John took a long look at the kids. Aiden and Aaron were chasing Skylar around the room while Terena and Kyle seemed to be playing nicely with the blocks. "I suppose I can," he said at last, then asked, "Just to clarify, we can't actually sit on them if they misbehave?"

Evie rolled her eyes but didn't get a chance to reply. There was a loud clattering as Kyle smashed Terena's castle with all his four-year-old might.

Terena gasped and then glared at him. She was a year younger than him but when she suddenly tackled him to the floor, it became apparent that her lineage gave her a great advantage over him regardless of their age difference.

"Get off me! Get _off_ me!" Kyle cried as Terena sat on him and pinned his arms to the ground. "Aunt Evieeeeeeeeee!"

Evie tried not to laugh as she called, "Terena, let him up!"

"He wrecked my castle!" Terena declared, not moving.

"I know he did, and I'll make him help you fix it. Now please get off him."

Terena sighed. She released his wrists and crawled off of him, sticking her tongue out at him as she did so. Kyle returned the gesture.

"Kyle, it wasn't nice of you to knock down her castle," Evie reprimanded. "Now, what do you tell her?"

"'m sorry," he said, looking down. "I'll fix it."

Terena smiled and sat back down, handing him a block.

"Doesn't look too hard," John commented to Evie as he watched Kyle and Terena start rebuilding together.

"Yeah, well, last time she hit him in the head with a block," Evie said, then glanced at her watch. "Hey, will you go do something _calm_ with those three while I get snack ready?" she asked, gesturing towards the older children.

John nodded. "Oh! I can teach them--"

"John, I swear, if you teach them the Wee Wee Song…" she said in a threatening tone.

John looked hurt. "I was going to say, 'Duck, Duck, Goose.'"

XXXXXX

Sheppard turned out to be quite a hit with the kiddies, though he'd been slightly offended when Aaron had patted him on the head and giggled, "Grandpa duck!" during the game. In addition to that daycare staple, he and Evie had had a wonderful time calling out things such as "Wraith attack!" and "Caldwell's coming!" for "Pilots and Puddlejumpers", their version of "Ships and Sailors". The children had giggled with delight and saluted at the appropriate times.

When Ronon came to get Terena, however, Evie decided that John's supervision of the children needed supervision of its own.

"Father!" Terena said, running over to him. "I learned a song!"

"What song?" he asked.

Terena grinned and glanced back at John. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen I was just a wee, wee tot they took me off my wee, wee cot and put me on my wee, wee pot to see if I could wee or not! Wee wee, wee wee, wee wee wee wee wee wee…"

Knowing full well that _every_ child in Atlantis would be singing that song within a few days, Evie glared daggers at John, who was doing a marvelous job of looking innocent.

When Terena had finished her ballad, Ronon just stared at her. "That's nice," he finally managed. "Say goodbye."

"Bye!" she said, turning around and waving to her friends.

With a mutter of "The things they teach these kids…" Ronon turned to leave. He didn't hold his daughter's hand but trusted that she would follow on her own; she did, starting her song all over again.

"Stop," Ronon said after two seconds.

"I had fun, father!" Terena declared with a smile.

Ronon sighed. "Really?"

"I created a castle, but then Kyle destroyed it."

"And what did you do to him?"

"Pinned 'im," she announced proudly.

Ronon smiled and patted her head. "Good girl."

* * *

Hey, Amelia, guess what number comes after nine?


	28. Like Cats and Dogs

Warning: Throughout the duration of this subplot there is a running gag about a certain part of a certain person's anatomy. The lines were thought up in a very amusing brainstorming session and ze beta and I are both equally guilty. We apologize. Tigger, I don't know what to say except... please don't shoot us.

* * *

**Ten Years Old - 2016**

_"You got troubles; I got 'em, too. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. If we stick together we can see it through. 'Cause you've got a friend in me. Yeah, you've got a friend in me." - Randy Newman, "You've Got a Friend in Me" _

John pushed the button on the side of his watch, quickly ducking and covering his head. The resulting explosion took out what was left of Fat Cat's lab below him, and as soon as the debris had settled he lowered himself from the ventilation shaft and set off to find Brenda. He stepped over burning rubble, careful not to singe his finely tailored suit, and called her name. "Brenda!" Seeing one of Fat Cat's dead guards lying near the entrance of the charred laboratory, he grabbed the man's weapon and checked to make sure it was fully loaded. It was.

Suddenly, he heard a scream from across the hall--and the sound of a blow landing. He darted across the hall and aimed his weapon at his enemy, who was holding a young woman against his body with a gun barrel pressed to her temple. "John, please!" she cried. She looked a lot like Evie, except for the fact that her hair was blonde and she was nearly popping out of her scanty little outfit.

"Let her go, Fat Cat, or I'll blow you away," John threatened.

Fat Cat laughed sinisterly. "If you want the girl alive," he said in his deep, raspy voice, "I suggest you drop your weapon. And don't think about trying anything fancy, I have one of my men in position to take you out if you try anything."

"You're bluffing!" John said with a smirk. Suddenly a shot whizzed by his head, nicking his ear.

"I warn you, I'm not a patient man," Fat Cat growled.

"Alright!" John said, wincing at the pain from his ear. "You promise you'll let her go?" he asked.

"You have my word," Fat Cat promised, lying through his teeth.

"And what good is that?" John asked. Suddenly, he fired his weapon, shooting Fat Cat right between the eyes. Just as soon as his finger had squeezed the trigger, he dropped and rolled out of range as bullets peppered the spot where he had just been. "Brenda!" he called, throwing her the weapon.

Brenda caught the gun and fired upon the sniper's position. The man fell from the balcony with a cry. "What were you thinking?" she cried as he stood and dusted himself off. "You could have been killed!"

"And the alternative would have gotten us _both_ killed!" he said, pulling her against him and kissing her roughly. A sudden beeping of his watch interrupted his pleasure. He pushed her back and looked down at the gadget. "Oh, shit. We've gotta get out of here!" He grabbed her hand and the two of them began running for the entrance of the mountain complex. John knew there wouldn't be time for a speedy getaway in his silver Aston Martin, so once they'd reached the surface, John examined his options. _Option_. "Brenda, do you trust me?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered.

"Good." He squeezed her hand and then took off running toward the edge of the mountain, pulling her along.

When she saw his intentions, she cried, "Are you crazy?!"

"Jump!" John commanded just as there was a loud explosion from behind them. Brenda closed her eyes and leapt with him. The entire top half of the mountain exploded as they fell towards the water. It seemed like an eternity before they made impact and when they did, the water was freezing.

When Brenda surfaced, gasping, she quickly latched onto Sheppard. "You're insane!" she cried. "You could have gotten us both killed!"

"But I didn't," he smiled, pulling her in for a kiss.

Brenda jerked away from him and began treading water on her own. She scowled at John, hating the man for making her fall in love with him. After a minute, however, she shivered and allowed him to take her into his arms. "Just for warmth," she mumbled even as she let her hands run over the muscles in his strong arms.

"Of course," he murmured with a smirk. "What do you say we _warm up_ back at my hotel room?"

Brenda smiled. "I think I'd like that." Then she finally allowed him to really kiss her. A deep, passionate kiss.

Suddenly, she began shaking his shoulders. "Wake up! Wake up!" a distant voice called. John pulled away from Brenda as she continued shaking him and watched as she slowly morphed into Rodney.

"Naptime's over, Colonel. It's time to go."

John opened his eyes sleepily. "Wha--?"

"You can be James Bond some other time," Rodney said, smirking.

"How did you--"

"The mumbled, 'Sheppard. _John Sheppard_,' in a horrible British accent was a dead give away," Rodney answered wryly.

"You finished fixing the…the whatever it was?" John asked, still slightly groggy.

"Yes, I fixed it," Rodney said with a sigh.

"Who is James Bond?" Teyla asked inquisitively.

"I promise to show you sometime," John said, getting up from the chair and stretching.

"Come on, come on," Rodney prompted. "While you were asleep, Ronon and Teyla packed up our gear and we left it outside the magistrate's hall because he doesn't like weapons. And we don't want some fool villager messing around with our stuff, so let's go."

John eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you so anxious to get back, McKay?"

Rodney paused, then answered, "It's Mary's and my anniversary, if you must know."

John grinned. "You two gonna party hearty?" he asked with a smirk as the four of them began walking toward the entrance of the magistrate's hall. Rodney rolled his eyes and didn't dignify John with an answer.

When they got outside, the team found a strange woman going through their gear.

"Put your hands where we can see them," John ordered, aiming his weapon at her.

The woman sighed and slowly raised her hands.

"Now turn around."

The woman did as commanded and when she did, everyone but Ronon gasped.

Rodney nearly dropped his weapon. "A-Allina?" he stammered.

Allina didn't say anything but maintained eye contact with McKay.

"What the hell were you doing digging through our gear?" John asked.

Allina still said nothing. Suddenly, she reached for something concealed at her waist. Sheppard aimed for her reaching arm, but given that she was moving quickly and that his aim was a hair too low, his bullet pierced her lung and knocked her to the ground.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" Rodney cried.

"She was reaching, McKay!" John answered defensively.

"For what?" Rodney yelled. "A coin purse? A banana? You don't know!"

Teyla was already by Allina's side. The woman glared up at the Athosian as she struggled to breathe. Teyla felt a weak pulse on her neck, and then watched sadly as Allina's body gave a final shudder. Teyla sighed. "She is dead."

"Check her waist," John ordered.

Teyla did so and pulled out a small gun. "It _is_ a weapon for which she was reaching," she announced, standing up.

"But you had no way of knowing that!" Rodney insisted.

"Well, she was, and I reacted correctly," John snapped. "End of discussion, McKay."

"But--" When John shot him a glare, Rodney muttered, "Fine."

XXXXXX

An hour later the team had gotten back home and finished their post-Gate examinations. Having some unfinished business with Rodney, John set out to find the scientist and found him in the first place he tried: the lab. "I need to speak with Dr. McKay privately," he said to the two other scientists in the room. They quickly nodded and left the room.

"What do you want?" Rodney snapped, trying to finish up his current project before enjoying the lovely dinner his wife was planning for them.

"Why did you question me on shooting her?" John asked. "Look, McKay, when we go off-world, we need to…present a united front."

"Well, excuse me for questioning the moral implications of your decision," Rodney answered sarcastically.

"You can question," John said, "just…do it privately."

"Oh, so you can quash my concerns secretly?" Rodney asked sarcastically. "I don't think so, _mein führer_."

John sighed. "Rodney, you still don't get it…"

"I don't get it?" Rodney repeated indignantly. "Well, I get that going in with guns blazing isn't going to get us anywhere but dead!"

"She _betrayed_ you!" John reminded. "It was no secret that you two had a thing for each other. Then she stabbed you in the back!"

"So you blew her away!" Rodney shot back.

"You think I like it?" John cried. "You think I like killing people? I don't! But sometimes it has to be done!"

"It wouldn't have to be done if you would listen to someone besides your own twisted version of a conscience."

John rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's just the kind of thing you'd say."

Rodney quickly went on the defensive. "You don't know anything about me," he ground out.

"_You_ don't know anything about _me_!"

"I know all I need to! You're an arrogant, trigger-happy, sex-addicted Tom Cruise wannabe!" Rodney yelled, shielding himself by hurling insults.

"Arrogant?" John was incredulous. "You're calling _me_ arrogant?!"

Rodney nodded smugly. "Very."

"Well, at least I'm not a pompous, egotistical, _undersexed_ geek!" John spouted.

"Well, _I_ don't obsess over my hair like a hormonal teenage girl!"

"Hey, at least I've _got_ hair!"

"I'd rather have no hair than a dick that small!" Rodney knew it was a low blow, and probably not even true, but he was running out of ideas.

John snorted. "Are you kidding me? Remember Evie after we got married?" he smirked.

"You ever heard of a paid actress?" Rodney asked sarcastically.

John sighed and questioned wryly, "You're saying you _paid_ Evie to give me a good ego stroking?"

"Didn't want you crying to your mommy when Evie wasn't impressed by your Kirk routine. Oh, that's right. You can't. She's gone." Rodney hadn't meant to be so harsh, but the words had tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

John's eyes flashed in anger and his fist shot out, connecting with the side of McKay's jaw. "At least my mother loved me!" he cried.

Tears came to Rodney's eyes, more from the sting of John's words than the pain in his face. "Fuck you, Sheppard!" he spat.

John raised his fist again, but didn't follow through when he saw Rodney instinctively recoil. "You know what?" he growled. "You're not even worth it…" With that harsh remark, John turned on his heel and exited the lab.

It took Rodney a few minutes to regain his composure. When he finally did, he stalked out of his lab and went to his quarters, where he banged drawers and stomped around as he got dressed for bed.

"Okay, _what_ is wrong with you?" Mary finally asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he mumbled bitterly and flopped down onto the bed.

"Rodney," she said, gently, sitting down next to him. He refused to acknowledge her. "Rodney, look at me." He sighed and turned his face toward her; Mary gasped when she saw the light bruise on the side of his face. "Rod, what happened?"

He turned away again. "Nothing…"

"Rodney, who hit you?"

"I said I didn't want to talk about it!" he yelled and Mary jumped at his sudden change in volume. Rodney winced and said in a much quieter tone. "Please…just let it go."

Mary nodded slowly, then gave him a hug. Then she grabbed her magazine and lay down beside him.

A few minutes later, Rodney got up again and put his pants back on.

"Where are you going?" Mary called when he began heading for the door. "It's almost time for dinner…"

"I can't sleep," he said absently, walking out the door before Mary could call back that it wasn't even dark.

* * *

When Evie heard her door whoosh open, she looked up to see her husband stalk into her room. "Thanks for knocking," she said sarcastically. Noting his grumpy demeanor, she asked, "What's wrong with _you_?"

"I got into a fight with McKay," he muttered.

"And?"

"And I don't wanna talk about it," he growled.

"Fine," she said, returning her attention to the novel in her hands. A moment later, the book was snatched from her grasp and tossed carelessly onto the floor. "Hey!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. "What do you think you'r--oof!" He practically threw her onto the bed. "I'm not going to serve as a punching bag for you to relieve your stress on," she warned.

"I need this," he uttered in a low voice, straddling her hips and leaning down to nibble on the side of her neck. The gentle nips, however, quickly turned into much harder bites, a little harder than Evie was comfortable with.

"John, please, yo--"

"Shut up," he growled, raising his head to look at her.

Evie's throat tightened and she looked like she might cry. The animalistic look in her husband's eyes frightened her and she slapped him across the face, hoping to get his attention. When this only appeared to incense him further, as was evident by him roughly grabbing her shoulders, she began trying to push him off her, shouting, "Get away from me, you _animal_!"

The fear manifest in her cry kicked John in the head. "Oh, God," he breathed. "Evie…" He quickly got off her, then reached a hand out to touch her arm.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, jerking away from the contact. "Go away!" There were tears trickling down her face. She grabbed her bear from the floor beside the bed and slowly backed away from him. When her back hit the wall in the corner, she slid down to the floor, sobbing into the bear's tattered fur as she tried to force away memories of Kenno.

Horrified at himself, John just watched as Evie began rocking herself slowly back and forth. "Please…get away from me," she managed. John turned and practically ran for the bathroom. Clutching the bear tightly, Evie quietly sang to herself her mother's lullaby. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word… Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird…"


	29. It's War

A/N: Well, Tigger, since you haven't said anything, I'm guessing you took one look at the last chapter's warning and ran away. Good girl. Don't read this one either. ;)

* * *

**Ten Years Old -2016**

_"How the hell'd we wind up like this? And why weren't we able to see the signs that we missed and try to turn the tables? I wish you'd unclench your fists and unpack your suitcase. Lately there's been too much of this, but don't think it's too late. Nothing's wrong just as long as you know that someday I will. Someday, somehow I'm gonna make it alright." -Nickelback, "Someday" _

After mentally kicking himself for a good twenty minutes while he allowed the hot water to relieve some of his tension, John quickly redressed. Opening the bathroom door, he saw Evie curled up in a ball on her bed. When she heard the bathroom door open, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He noticed the hint of pain in her eyes. "…I'm so sorry," he said quietly. When she made no response, he began slowly taking steps towards her. Evie immediately began backing away, moving up the bed. Now it was fear he saw reflected in her gaze.

John stopped and nodded to himself. Swiping angrily at his eyes, he left her room. As soon as the door had closed behind him, he turned swiftly and pounded his fist against the wall. He closed his eyes for a minute, silently cursing himself.

"Aww…what's the matter?" asked a sneering voice behind him. "Girlfriend kick you out again?"

John whirled around and glared at Rodney. "Shut the hell up, McKay!" he growled threateningly. "This is all _your_ damn fault!"

"Oh, now you're blaming your inadequacies on me?" Rodney asked sarcastically. "They have drugs for that…" Clenching his fists, John began quickly moving in on the scientist. His prey's eyes widened and he mumbled, "Time to go," before quickly taking off down the hall.

"Yeah, you better run, McKay," John yelled. "Because the next time I catch your ass, you're _dead_!"

XXXXXX

Needless to say, neither John nor Evie slept very well that night. (Rodney, on the other hand, slept like a baby after enjoying a delightful evening with Mary.) The next morning, after nearly sleeping through his alarm clock, John decided to try to make amends at breakfast. He walked over to where Evie sat alone, head down, poking at her cereal. Setting his tray down on the table, he asked, "May I join you?" She barely nodded, keeping her eyes on her food.

Slowly sitting down in the chair opposite her and looking at her sad expression, he thought to himself, '_What have I done to her…' _

Clink… Clink… Clink… Evie continued dragging her spoon through her cereal bowl, but didn't bring any to her lips.

After a few awkward minutes of complete silence, John reached into his pocket and pulled out two candy bars. "I know it doesn't make up for me acting like such an animal, but I thought you might like these." He pushed them over to her side of the table and waited for her reaction.

Evie stared at the chocolate for several moments. _No way_ did this make up for what he did. In an overly sarcastic tone she said, "Ooh, wow, chocolate. Now let's go have make-up sex…" She raised her eyes to look at him.

John looked down at his toast only a second later so she wouldn't see the pain in his eyes. "Is that really what you think of me?" he asked quietly. Evie turned away, feeling slightly guilty. After another minute of almost unbearable silence, John picked up his tray and left. A tear slipped slowly down Evie's cheek as she watched him go.

XXXXXX

"Rodney, I need to see you in my office, please," Elizabeth called over the comms.

Rodney looked up worriedly from where he sat in his lab, a blanket wrapped tightly around himself. He tapped his headset. "Do I have to?" he asked nervously.

There was a pause on the other end, then, "…I need to speak to you."

Rodney sighed. "I'm coming." Standing up and casting the blanket aside, he ignored the snickers from his colleagues as he walked down to Elizabeth's office.

He scowled when he saw Sheppard inside talking to Weir. Entering, he muttered through gritted teeth, "Must _he_ be here?"

"Yes, Rodney," Elizabeth answered patiently. "We need t--" She did her best to contain a laugh when she finally looked over at the scientist. "Laundry day, Dr. McKay?" she asked teasingly.

"Nice ducks," John commented with a smirk.

Rodney was wearing a blue shirt with a duck on it and pajama pants covered in bright yellow rubber duckies.

"Care to explain, Rodney?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.

"There was an…accident…in my quarters," he said tightly, giving John a sideways glance. He had opened his closet that morning to find his entire wardrobe covered in shaving cream. "All my clothes have to be laundered. This is all I had…"

Elizabeth nodded slowly, still staring at the ducks. "Well…could you borrow some pants from Colonel Sheppard at least?" she asked.

Both men immediately answered with a firm, "No."

"Okay… And there's nobody else your size?" Rodney shook his head. Elizabeth thought for a minute, then said, "Oh! John, didn't you give Hermiod a pair of pants for Christmas a few years ago?"

John nodded.

"Were they your pants?"

John shook his head.

Elizabeth sighed. "Well, then, whose were they?"

John nodded his head toward Rodney.

"You gave an _Asgard_ a pair of my pants?" Rodney spluttered.

"Hey, pants are pants," John said in his own defense.

Rodney muttered something and tapped his headset. "Hermiod? Hermiod, this is Dr. McKay."

There was a pause and then the alien answered, "Yes, Doctor?"

"I was wondering…" Oh, it would sound so silly! "I was wondering if I could borrow your pants?" John snickered and Rodney shot him a glare.

The little gray Asgard thought for a minute. At first, he had been insulted by John's gift. But after he'd tried the pants(with a belt, of course), he'd decided that he liked them. "These are my…'pants'…Dr. McKay," Hermiod answered. "Procure your own."

Rodney scowled and muttered, "You insensitive, inferior slug," before addressing the Asgard once more, "Thank you anyway." He sighed and looked up at Elizabeth, "My clothes will be dry before lunch, can't I just…?"

Elizabeth smiled in amusement and nodded.

XXXXXX

Later that evening, John decided to relieve some of his stress by playing a computer game. Normally he would have turned to another means to ease his tension, but Evie was currently mad at him. Attempting to break his high score would have to suffice. When he opened his laptop and logged in, however, something other than his usual desktop background greeted him. For the last few months, he had used an adorable picture of his wife and son; his computer was password protected, so he wasn't worried about anyone finding it.

This new picture was _definitely_ not his family.

John quickly accessed the pictures folder and tried to delete the photo. It gave him some error message he imagined only someone like Rodney would understand, but he tried again anyway. When that didn't work, he went with his usual "cure-all" for computer problems and shut it down. Unfortunately, when it rebooted, those same blue eyes were gazing at him seductively.

Suddenly he heard a knock on his door. He quickly closed his laptop, then answered the door. It was Evie. His eyebrows went up, but he motioned her inside anyway. As soon as the door was closed, she kissed him. She smiled at his surprised face a moment later. "Life is too uncertain to hold grudges," she explained, nodding.

John slowly grinned. "Does this mean we're gonna have sex?"

Evie rolled her eyes. "I swear, that is _all_ you men ever think about!"

John looked hurt. "That's not true…" He paused for a few seconds, then asked, "So, are we?"

Evie laughed. "I rest my case." She was silent for a moment, then she remembered the other reason she had come. "Oh!" she said, reaching into her pocket. "I brought those pictures of Aiden that I promised you," she said, pulling out a digital camera card. "I'll load 'em onto your computer for you."

When she headed for his laptop, John stepped in front of her. "How about sex now, pictures later?" he asked worriedly, not wanting her to see the image on his computer.

Evie frowned at him. "I said no," she answered, sidestepping him.

"Evie, don't!" he called as she opened his laptop.

When she saw the blonde vixen with fishnet hose beckoning from a bed, her eyes widened. She looked down a second later. "New wallpaper, John?" she asked quietly.

"Evie, I promise you I don't know how that got there," he answered earnestly.

She frowned again. "So Slut Barbie just magically popped onto your computer?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, but I swear I didn't do it! I wouldn't!" he insisted.

Evie sighed. "I know you wouldn't…" John looked relieved. "But then how--"

Suddenly, the computer's speakers came to life and the obnoxious laugh of Woody Woodpecker began playing over and over again.

"What the hell?" John moved to look at the screen and frowned when a large message popped up. "_All your base are belong to **me**!"_ Without warning, the computer began beeping rapidly, all sorts of error messages flashing before the screen went black. John punched the power button several times, to no avail. "He killed it!" he cried in shock.

"Who?"

"Who else?" John growled. "McKay…"

XXXXXX

Summer chuckled. "He's going to break that coffee cup if he slams it down one more time," she observed as she watched Sheppard eat his lunch alone.

"I know," Evie said, pausing to slurp jello off her spoon. "He's been like that ever since Rodney ruined his laptop."

"Somebody needs to do _something_ to perk him up," Summer insisted.

Evie sighed. "I bet I can fix him…"

Although she had intended on waiting a few more days because of how her husband had acted toward her the other night, Evie knew Summer had a point. His grouchiness _was_ getting on everyone's nerves. So, later that night, she paid him a visit at his quarters.

"Evie?" John asked, a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

She sighed and kicked off her shoes, slipping off her jacket as well. Then she began divesting her husband of his clothes as she backed him up towards his bed. "You've been Mr. Grumpypants for days and you're being an absolute jerk to _everyone_," she explained. "So I'm going to give it to you _so_ good, you'll have no choice but to be in a good mood when I'm done with you."

XXXXXX

Unfortunately, the three torrid hours Evie spent with him only lightened his mood slightly. Because he was still mad at Rodney, her efforts weren't enough to even have him walking around with that I've-got-the-greatest-woman-in-the-world grin. Evie washed her hands of him when she realized that not even a lover's charm was going to get him out of this funk. She figured he'd get over it in a week or two. She figured wrong.

John was, in fact, planning revenge on Rodney for ruining his computer. Sure, all the pictures of Aiden that had been lost could be copied over again from Evie's computer and his mission files were all backed up on a disk, but it was the principal of the matter. And his _Centipede_ high score had been lost! Walking over to Rodney's table during lunch, John decided that now was as good a time as any; there weren't very many people still in the mess hall, as it was nearly two o'clock.

Rodney frowned when he saw John standing beside him. "What do _you_ want?" he asked sourly.

"Oh, nothing," John said, then swiped his finger through the icing on Rodney's slice of cake.

"Hey!"

"Mmm!" John approved as he licked his finger clean. "That's good. But it tastes kind of different. Kind of…lemony…"

Rodney's eyes widened in horror and he jumped up. "Holy shit! Are you serious?!" Rodney had eaten half of the slice and was now starting to hyperventilate as he stared at the dessert.

"Pretty sure," John said, nodding.

Rodney reached frantically into his pocket and pulled out his Epipen. He yanked off the cap and jabbed the needle into his thigh, trying to take deep breaths. He counted in his head as the gadget released the epinephrine into his system. Removing the pen fifteen seconds later, he glanced up at John worriedly. "I-I have to get to the infirmary!" he cried.

"So, let's go!"

Rodney nodded and began running out of the mess hall. John grinned slyly to himself and then followed after the frantic scientist.


	30. Back to Normal

A/N: **Please read.** Due to the fact that I have less than two months 'til graduation and the fact that I have WAY more than two months worth of work to get done, I'm not going to be able to keep posting every three days like I have been(I'm still not sure how I'm a day late with this one). I've got all the rest of the chapters planned out, and several of the later ones written. If I happen to find time to write the ones that come next, I promise that I will post them as soon as I can. I've got the very next one half-finished, but I think a realistic estimate might be a week or two before it's ready for posting. I'm sorry for having to drag this out further, but graduation's kinda important. :-D But fear not, even if it takes all through summer, I WILL finish what I started. :-D Thank you for your patience. -BP

* * *

**Ten Years Old - 2016**

_"I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon. After all, I knew it had to be something to do with you. I really don't mind what happens now and then, as long as you'll be my friend at the end. If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand? I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might. Kryptonite." - Three Doors Down, "Kryptonite" _

"Good heavens, what's all this yelling about?" Carson asked, rushing out of his office.

"Oh, thank God!" Rodney cried running over to Carson. "I-I ate lemon cake!" He looked up at the doctor very worriedly.

"Why did you do that?" Carson asked as he prepared an IV drip for the scientist.

"Well, I didn't _know_ it was lemon until Sheppard pointed it out, you nincompoop!" Rodney answered dryly.

"Did you inject yourself with the epinephrine?" Carson asked, guiding Rodney over to one of the examination tables.

"Yes, yes!" Rodney hopped up on the table, starting to hyperventilate again.

"Calm down, Rodney," Carson said, reaching into the pocket of his lab coat and pulling out his stethoscope. After listening to Rodney's heart for a few moments, he said, "Well, it's causing tachycardia, bu--"

"Tachycardia?!" Rodney repeated almost hysterically. "What is that? Am I gonna die?"

Carson sighed. "No, Rodney, you're not going to die. Tachycardia just means that your heart is beating rapidly. It's a side effect of the epinephrine."

Rodney nodded. "So…I'm gonna be alright?"

Carson smiled. "I'm sure you're going to be fine, Rodney," he said calmly, not noting any signs of anaphylaxis.

John suddenly burst out laughing. When Rodney and Carson looked at him in surprise, he said, "Oh, man, you should have seen your face, Rodney!"

"Excuse me?" Carson asked, eyebrows raising. When John said nothing, Carson gave him a severe look. "Explain yourself, Colonel."

John was grinning like a little boy who had just put a fake cockroach on his mother's chair. "You _know_ the cooks would have warned you if there was any citrus in the food," he said, smirking at Rodney.

At this, Rodney became furious and jumped off the bed. "Hold me back!" he cried. "I'll _kill_ him!"

Carson stepped between the two men, holding Rodney's shoulders and preventing him from strangling the smirking pilot. "Colonel," he began gravely, "I don't know _what_ you were thinking, but food allergies are _not_ something to joke about." Then he tapped his headset, cutting off whatever John had been planning to say in his defense. "Elizabeth… I think we have a problem down here."

"What's the matter?" she asked over the comms a second later.

"Colonel Sheppard is an _ass_, that's what!" Rodney cried, glaring at the man.

Carson ignored this outburst, though he was sure Elizabeth had heard him, Rodney had yelled so loud. "Colonel Sheppard thought it would be amusing to tell Rodney his cake was contaminated with lemon," he answered.

Elizabeth paused for a moment, then asked, "John? Is this true?"

John reached a hand up to his earpiece. "Maybe…" he answered with a just a hint of smirk remaining. At the glares from Carson and Rodney, he sighed. "He infected my computer! And…I didn't think he'd react so bad…"

Elizabeth pursed her lips, thoughts of whacking John upside the head running through her mind. "You three. My office. Now."

XXXXXX

Looking sternly from one man to the other, Elizabeth asked solemnly, "How did all this start?"

"He insulted my manhood," John answered without thinking.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, there's not that much to insult."

John glared at the other man. "For the last time, I do _not_ have a…man-problem!" He shouted the last half, which caused Rodney to snicker.

"Boys!" Elizabeth reprimanded.

"Actually, Rodney, the colonel's right," Carson spoke up. "He's not lacking in that regard." When the three of them slowly turned to give him awkward stares, Carson quickly added, "Not that…I was looking…"

Rodney suppressed another giggle.

"Thank you, Carson," Elizabeth sighed. "I think you can go back to work now."

"Of course, Elizabeth," he said, nodding his head before leaving her office.

"You know, Rodney," John said, turning the tables. "Most men who make fun of another guy like that are suffering from inadequacies of their own." He smirked.

"That is _enough_!" Elizabeth cried. Breathing in deeply to calm herself, she turned to be seated at her desk; she had some orders she needed to work up.

"I _certainly_ am not suffering from _any_ inadequacies," Rodney whispered just loud enough for Sheppard to hear. "Go ask Mary. Why just the other nigh--"

"The next person to speak will be digging toilets on the mainland for a month!" Elizabeth announced, eyes flashing in anger.

Rodney swallowed. Apparently he hadn't been as quiet as he'd thought. Both men quickly nodded their understanding to her.

"Now…" She sat down in her chair. "How did all this begin, Rodney?" she asked, deciding to hear his version first. When Rodney didn't say anything after several seconds, she sighed exasperatedly. "Rodney!"

"Well, you said not to say anything!" he cried.

Elizabeth sighed. This was going to take a while.

XXXXXX

"What?!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I'm very serious," Elizabeth answered. "Until you two can work this out and start cooperating with each other again, I have no choice but to suspend you from off-world missions."

"Aw, c'mon, we were just screwing around," John protested, then slung his arm around Rodney's shoulders. We're still friends! Aren't we, McKay?"

Rodney began trying to squirm away. "Get your hands off me, John girl-in-every-port Sheppard." At this stinging remark, made even more so by the "well-it-_is_-true" expression on Elizabeth's face, John squeezed the back of Rodney's neck painfully hard. "Ow, ow, ow!"

Elizabeth smirked. "I can see that," she deadpanned. "You're still on probation. End of discussion."

"B-but--" John's objection was cut off by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Elizabeth nearly shouted.

The door opened and Radek entered her office, Lukas riding on his shoulders. "Mommy!" the little boy cried gleefully.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything," Zelenka said quickly when he saw John's and Rodney's downcast faces. "Lukas wanted to see you…"

"No, they were just leaving," she answered, nodding to the two men in front of her. With pouting faces back to Elizabeth and mutual glares at each other, they left her office. She then turned to her husband and son. "So my baby wanted to come see me?" she said, holding out her arms.

Radek gently lifted Lukas over his head and placed him in Elizabeth's arms. "I been in Daddy's lab all day, so I wants to come see you!" he announced.

Elizabeth smiled. "I suppose Mommy can take a break for a while."

Radek nodded and then kissed her cheek. "I will see you later, _miláček_," he murmured.

Elizabeth smiled and replied with the first phrase she had learned from him, "_Já láska ke komu vy_. "

As Radek left, Lukas waved and called, "_Sbohem, tatínek_!"

XXXXXX

Evie's and Mary's initial reactions to the news were, "You'll be home _all day_?!" However, John and Rodney kept to themselves for the most part. Both blaming the other for their being "grounded", they were irritable and easily provoked by nearly anyone. After getting the umpteenth report from Miko that Rodney was acting like he was PMS-ing, Mary went to find Evie.

"Okay, this ends _now_," Mary announced to the captain.

"I agree," Evie sighed. "They have to get over this."

"What are we going to do, lock them up until they apologize?" Mary asked sarcastically. Evie's eyes lit up. "Oh. No. We _couldn't_!"

"Sure we can! Ooh, I've got the best idea," Evie exclaimed, and Mary could practically see the wheels turning in her friend's mind. "Should we have them restrained? I mean, maybe if they just fight it out…"

"I like my husband alive, thanks," Mary answered.

Evie laughed. "Your confidence in your husband is astounding."

"Hey, if it were a battle of wits - or insults - Rodney would win hands down," Mary said in his defense.

Evie laughed. "True. Now, we'll just have to make a deal with Sgt. Butler…"

XXXXXX

The next afternoon in the rec room, Evie carried out her half of the plan. "I have a surprise for you," she said with a sly smile.

John raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Evie nodded. "Mmhmm. Close your eyes."

"Is that really ne--"

"Just do it!"

"Yes, ma'am." John did as he was told and felt her hands grasping his.

"Now, follow me," she said and began leading him out of the rec room.

"Promise that you won't run me into any walls?" he asked as he followed her hesitantly.

"I promise," she answered with a laugh. "No peeking!"

"I'm not!" He heard a door whoosh open and Evie then pulled him inside whatever room it was. When he heard a certain beeping noise, he realized that they were in a transporter. "Evie, where are you taking me?" he asked.

"If I _told_ you, it wouldn't be a surprise!"

He sighed. "Fine, fine."

As they stepped out the transporter, she whispered, "Now, I want you to be very, very quiet, got it?"

"Are we hunting wabbits?" John couldn't resist asking with a teasing smirk. Evie rolled her eyes and led him several feet away, then stopped, dropping his hands. "Can I open 'em now?"

"Nope. Just a minute."

The next thing John felt was cold metal against his wrist; and he could hear the cuffs clicking into place. "Ooh," he grinned as she secured his other wrist. "This is kinda kinky…" Suddenly he heard another voice.

"Is that Sheppard? I hear Sheppard. What is _he_ doing here?"

John opened his eyes and saw a blindfolded Rodney standing a few feet away with Mary beside him. "McKay? What are _you_ doing here?"

Annoyed, Rodney disobeyed and reached his own cuffed hands up to remove the blindfold. Both men realized their surroundings at exactly the same time. They were in one of the holding cells in the brig.

Rodney gasped. "It's a trap!"

"Run!" John turned to make a quick escape, but Evie planted a forceful shove against his chest, sending him stumbling back into the cell.

"Oh, no, boys. You're not getting off that easy," Mary said, quickly exiting the cell and looking for the lock controls.

When John attempted to run out again, Evie called, "John Eric Sheppard, don't make me shoot you!"

"Ha! Got it!" Mary cried gleefully as the door to the cell quickly slid shut and the force shield enveloped it.

"What the hell is this?" Rodney cried. "Abuse Your Husband Day?"

"No," Mary answered with a grin. "That's next week."

"Evie, you let us out right now!"

Ignoring her husband, Evie turned to her friend. "Hey, Mar, wanna go grab some ice cream?"

Rodney perked up at that! "Ice cream? Bring us some!"

"Rodney, would you give your stomach a rest for _two seconds_?" Mary said exasperatedly. "When you two decide to forgive each other, we'll let you out."

"Honestly," Evie chimed in, "you're worse than the children!" With that, the two women left, giggling the whole way.

Proving Evie's assertion that they were acting like little children, John and Rodney ignored each other for a good ten minutes, sitting on opposite ends of the cell with their backs to each other.

John, however, finally broke the silence, turning around to face Rodney. "Look, can we at least _pretend_ to get along so they'll let us out of here?"

Rodney turned around as well. "Sure," Rodney answered, then said sarcastically, "Would you like me to do your hair or something?"

"Can you French braid?"

"No, only Dutch."

Sheppard snorted. "Figures…" They both chuckled slightly, then quickly resumed the awkward silence, mad at themselves for letting their guard down.

After a few minutes, Sheppard sighed. "Why don't you just apologize for being an ass so we can get out of here?"

"Ex_cuse_ me?" Rodney spluttered.

"Hey, you're the one who brought my _mother_ into it," John snapped.

Rodney appeared to duck slightly when Sheppard said "mother." "Look…" he began. "I didn't mean… I'm sorry about that, okay?"

Sheppard rolled his eyes and found something interesting on the bare wall at which to stare. "Whatever…"

Rodney frowned. "Oh, come _on_, you were just as much an ass as I was and you know it!" he accused.

John looked back at him. "I'm not the one who said 'f--'"

"No, you just _hit me_!" Rodney interrupted.

"Well, I'm sorry if I damaged your chances in the Atlantis Beauty Pageant," John replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Very annoyed at this point, Rodney asked exasperatedly, "Do you even _want_ to get out of here? Or do you like being in a small space with me?"

John grinned; he couldn't resist. "Wassamatter, McKay? Getting hot and bothered over there?"

Rodney groaned. "First my family, now my sexuality? Is nothing sacred?"

"Apparently not," John answered. "_You_ brought up my dick."

A few seconds later Rodney began snickering.

"What?"

"Think about that last sentence," Rodney said. "Think about it really _hard_."

John looked at him quizzically as he thought for a minute. Then he laughed. "You're really twisted, McKay, you know that?"

"Yes, it comes with being a genius," Rodney quipped.

"There you go with your raving ego again!"

"Hey, at least I brag about the size of my _brains_!"

"Is that why your head's so big?" John shot back with half a grin.

"It has to contain my massively superior intelligence," Rodney answered haughtily.

"Hey, just because I have a PhD in kicking ass and not physics doesn't make me any less intelligent that you," John said defensively.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Oh, _that_ was stinging."

Sheppard nearly stuck his tongue out, but thought better of it. "You know what? I don't even want to talk to you anymore. You're the one who started this whole mess anyway!" he yelled.

"Me?! _You_ had no right to bring up my childhood!" Rodney cried.

"You insulted my mother!" John returned, matching Rodney's volume.

"I said I was sorry!" Rodney reminded. "...and besides, what you said to me was worse!"

"Oh, come on, Rodney, you know I didn't mean it…" John said somewhat more gently.

"Oh, yeah, thanks, that helps," Rodney said, rolling his eyes again.

"Well what do you want me to do? Say I'm sorry? _I'm sor-ry_. There. You happy?" Rodney just shot him a death glare. "Dammit, McKay, what more do you want?" John cried.

Rodney looked down, not wanting John to see that he really _was_ hurt.

John thought for a minute and sighed, whispering, "Okay…" He waited until Rodney made eye contact, trying to convey his sincerity as he mumbled, "Look, I'm sorry…"

"You mean it?" Rodney mumbled.

John sighed again. "Yeah…"

Rodney seemed to perk up slightly at this. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Rodney suddenly cried, "Hey! Doesn't that mean we can get out of here now?"

John jumped up. "I sure hope so."

After yelling for nearly fifteen minutes, John and Rodney were relieved to see their wives entering the brig.

"It's about damn time," John said. At Evie's raised eyebrows he added, "_Sweetheart_."

Mary used the controls to disarm the force shield and open the cell doors. Both men ran up to their wives and held up their cuffed hands. Mary just dangled the keys in front of Rodney.

"Oh, come on!" he cried.

"Did you apologize to each other?" Evie asked, giving them both the _Mom_ look.

Rodney nodded emphatically. "We made up, we promise!"

When their wives didn't look convinced, John piped up, "What, do you want us to hug or something?"

Rodney made the face he usually reserved for particularly foul off-world smells. Or Kavanagh's memory. "Don't touch me…"

"Computer nerd."

"Pretty boy."

* * *

"_Já láska ke komu vy_" means "I love you." 

"_Sbohem, tatínek_!" means "Bye-bye, Daddy!"


	31. Aliens and Viruses and Worms, Oh My!

**Eleven Years Old - April 2017**

_"I'm impolite and I make fun of everyone. I'm immature but I will stay this way forever. Until the day I die, I promise I won't change. So ya better give up! I don't wanna be told to grow up! And I don't wanna change, I just wanna have fun. I don't wanna be told to grow up, and I don't wanna change. So you better give up, cause I'm not gonna change. I don't wanna grow up." - Simple Plan, "Grow Up" _

Rodney knew it was childish, but wasn't that what today was all about? He supposed if worse came to worst, he could always say it was Aiden's idea… Keeping one hand in his pocket, he entered Radek's lab and was glad to see that the Czech was alone. "Hey, Radek," he said nonchalantly as he walked over to stand behind the other man. "Think you could pull up the city's current power consumption diagram?"

"Anything in particular you are looking for?" Zelenka asked, complying.

"Oh, I have a feeling something special might pop up," Rodney said with a devious grin as he removed what had been in his pocket.

Completely unaware, Radek successfully pulled up the screen. "There you are."

"Thank you. Could you, umm… How's the ZPM doing?" he asked, moving beside Zelenka and leaning against the desk.

Radek began typing again, but paused for a moment when he thought he heard a strange croaking noise. When he heard nothing but silence for several seconds, he shook his head and resumed working. Nine seconds later, he was _certain_ he had heard something behind him. He slowly glanced over his shoulder, trying to find the source of the peculiar sound that was somewhere between a growl and a gurgle. When he saw the alien perched on the back of his chair, he gasped loudly and jumped nearly a foot in the air, landing on the floor beside his chair.

The tan creature placed its hands over its mouth as it let out a croaking chuckle to match Rodney's hearty laugh.

"_Idiot_," Radek muttered as he pulled himself to his feet. "I already nearly had a heart attack this morning when Elizabeth made joke that she was pregnant. I do _not_ want to partake in this ridiculous holiday," he said with a frown as he grabbed the alien. Shoving it at McKay, he ordered, "So take your _proklít bestie_ and get out of my lab."

Rodney allowed himself one last chuckle as he protested, "Oh, come on, Radek. You should have seen how high you jumped!"

"Out!"

Rodney sighed and took the creature from the angry Czech. Ignoring the death-glare Radek was shooting him, he left the lab and went to return "Puppy" to its rightful owner.

Two days ago, while on an off-world mission, John had discovered a small colony of aliens that he insisted were called "puckmarins." He had smuggled one back to Atlantis for Mary and her fellow biologists to check out. Once they had deemed that the small alien was no threat, he had given the puckmarin to Aiden as a gift. Thrilled, Aiden had named it "Puppy", because he had been wanting a dog for several years. Of course, once the other children saw Aiden's new pet, they all had to have one. Weir had sighed and agreed that more of the hamster-sized aliens could be brought back to Atlantis on the next excursion to that planet.

When Rodney had approached Aiden that morning before school, the boy had been very happy to loan his pet out for such a worthy cause. Rodney just hoped that the Czech wasn't the type to seek revenge.

XXXXXX

"It was amazing. He jumped two feet and fell completely out of his chair," Rodney orated with a grin.

Evie laughed. "Did he start cursing in Czech?"

"He did."

"That's very grown up of you, Rodney," John said sarcastically.

"Oh, like you haven't pranked anybody."

"Actually, I haven't."

Rodney looked surprised. "You haven't?"

"Not yet," John grinned.

"Oh, I don't count?" Evie asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Did he get you with Louie's fake cockroach?" Rodney asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"No, but he managed to get his hands on one of the voice imitation devices and set it for Colonel Caldwell," Evie said, giving John a perturbed glare. "And since I accidentally-on-purpose fell asleep in John's quarters last night, this morning he thought it'd be funny to use the VID and wake me up with--" She lowered her voice in an attempt to sound like the grumpy old colonel, "'Captain, what the hell are you doing in Colonel Sheppard's bed?!'"

John grinned. "She fell off the bed."

Evie hit his arm lightly. "I imagine I got off easy, though," she said. "I'm sure that's one of the tamest practical jokes on his list."

"Yeah, well I still haven't forgiven him for what he did to me last year, so he'd better not even think about trying something on me this year," Rodney warned.

"Come on, Rodney. The pink washed out after a few days," John reminded.

Rodney shot John an evil look.

"And in case you haven't noticed, my hair isn't exactly _normal_ either." This time John shot Evie a glare.

"Oh, sure. _You_ get the blue!" Rodney pouted. He paused for a minute, then said, "Just how _did_ you manage to distract him long enough for that, Evie?"

"Give ya three guesses," Evie answered.

"Bet I only need one," Rodney said with a smirk toward Sheppard. "Did it have anything to do with a certain Air Force captain being scantily clad and accidentally-on-purpose falling asleep in his bed?"

"Ooh, he's good," John commented, pretending to be impressed.

"No, it's just a well-known fact that you have a one-track mind."

Evie laughed…

"_It's not funny," Evie insisted when John was still chuckling at random intervals ten minutes later. _

_"Oh, but, sweetheart, the expression on your face was priceless," he grinned. _

_Evie shook her head; if things went right, she'd be the one laughing last. Having finished getting dressed, John reached for the tube of hair gel sitting by the sink. Before he had a chance to begin the last -- and most important -- part of his morning ritual, however, Evie stole the beauty product from him. "I'll do it," she said, and began pushing him towards his chair without giving him a chance to protest. "Sit," she said, standing behind the chair and removing the tube's cap. _

_As John sat, he asked with obvious amusement, "Any particular reason why you have a sudden urge to do my hair?" _

_"Because it's fun to play with," she answered matter-of-factly as she coated her hands with gel and then ran her fingers through his hair, smiling as it stood up in crazy little spikes. "How do you feel about a Mohawk today?" she teased. _

_"How about not?" _

_While playing with his hair with one hand, Evie slipped the other into her pocket and withdrew a smaller tube of a different kind of hair product that she had brought with her when she'd accidentally-on-purpose seduced him the previous night. She managed to unscrew the tiny cap with one hand and then squirted it onto her hands, rubbing her palms together. She stifled a giggle as she ran her fingers through his hair again, this time leaving streaks of blue in her wake. _

_After thoroughly highlighting his hair with the shimmery, dark-blue dye, Evie stood back to admire her work. "Oh, that is beautiful," she said with a giggle that she didn't attempt to hide. _

_"Thanks," John said as he stood up, but when he turned around and saw the blue on her hands, his eyebrows shot up. "What the hell did you do?!" he cried, racing for the mirror. _

_"Happy April Fool's, baby," Evie said with large grin. _

_After gawking at the reflection of his new highlights for a minute, he turned around and looked like he was going to strangle something. _

_"Oh, come on!" Evie said, quickly putting the chair between herself and him. "It doesn't look that bad! It looks kind of cool!" _

_"I'm gonna give you a five-second head start to get far, far away, Shorty," he threatened in a manner that wasn't entirely serious. "And there will be much pain if I catch you." _

_Evie giggled and dashed out the door…_

Rodney nodded, smiling at the satisfaction of knowing that John would have his new highlights for at least a full week. Then he returned his attention to his laptop and the file that he was supposed to be retrieving for John and Evie. Actually, it was just for John; Evie was there because she hadn't seen John all week, except for last night's accidental-on-purpose encounter.

Evie sighed as Rodney took his sweet time with the file. The sooner John got the file, the sooner he could pretend to read it and then she and he could go have lunch together. "How long?" she finally asked.

When the response popped into his head, John couldn't help himself and he commented with a grin, "Eight inches on a good day."

Evie and Rodney slowly turned to look at him, Evie looking embarrassed and Rodney looking disgusted. In reference to John actually making such a comment rather than the comment itself, Rodney said, "That is not normal."

John smirked. "My mother always said I was special."

Rodney made another repulsed face, then he turned to Evie. "Will you-- Nevermind. I'll do it myself." He picked up his empty coffee cup and threw it at John.

"Hey!" John cried as the metal mug hit him in the chest.

"I thought we decided not to talk about that particular subject anymore," Rodney reminded, thinking of how things had turned out last time.

"Chill out, McKay, I was just kidding," John said.

"Yeah," Evie said with a grin. "His ego is this big--" She held her hands a far distance apart "--but his assets are thees beeg." She pulled her hands in so that they were less than an inch apart.

Rodney chuckled and John just shot Evie a wry smile. "Hey, you don't want this," he said, spreading his arms wide as if advertising merchandise, "I'll take it elsewhere."

"Okay. You let me know how that turns out," Evie said, waving at him.

"Will you two _please_…" Rodney muttered. "Ah!" he said when his laptop finally finished its search. "Here it is."

"Thanks, McKay," John said, hopping out of his chair and moving to read over Rodney's shoulder. He waited about a minute as he pretended to read Rodney's old report, then said, "That's all I needed to know."

"Have a nice day, Rodney," Evie said with a grin as she and John turned to leave.

"'Have a nice day'?" Rodney eyed her suspiciously. Suddenly, he looked worried. "What did you two do?"

"Chill, McKay," Evie said with convincing innocence. "I'm just messing with your head. You know, the best prank I ever pulled on my little brother was doing nothing at all."

"Reverse psychology?"

"Drove him crazy."

"I can only imagine… What was his name again?"

"David."

"Ah." Rodney nodded. "Good, strong name."

Evie smiled. "You have fun doing…whatever it is you're doing," she said and then left with her darling.

"You think he suspects anything?" Evie asked, barely managing to stop her hand from seeking out John's as they walked.

"Rodney?" John grinned. "Not a thing."

XXXXXX

After searching his lab to see if either John or Evie had left him any pranks or traps or water balloons full of alien goo, Rodney returned to his laptop, checking his chair carefully before sitting down. When he attempted to close the file, the normal computer-generated error message popped up, along with a not-so-usual "error sound." Rather than the computer's speakers merely making a small "dink", Sheppard's voice insulted Rodney with, "Wow, and I thought you were supposed to be a genius."

Rodney looked at his laptop in shock for a minute, then decided that he was just low on sleep. He tried to shut down the malfunctioning file again and was greeted by a different error message as well as an audible, "What're you trying to do, blow up a galaxy again?"

"Okay, this ends now," Rodney mumbled, control-alt-deleting the file and then selecting the computer's control panel. When he endeavored to delete the new error message sounds, his computer taunted him with John's voice a third time. "I'm smarter than I look, McKay. I coulda been Mensa, remember?"

"How…" Rodney whimpered. "How--" He gasped. "That sneaky _bastard_!" Rodney knew how…

"_So, it's been bugging me, Rodney…" John said as he watched Rodney work. "You know how you killed my laptop last month when we had our fight?" _

_"Yeah?" Rodney didn't look up and really wasn't listening much either. _

_"How'd you hack it like that?" _

_"Why do you care? I saved your hard drive." _

_"I've tried, but I just can't figure out how you did it." _

_"Well, what do you know? I'm smarter than you. Imagine that." _

_John rolled his eyes and reminded himself that he had to be patient. "C'mon, McKay, I'm just curious…" _

_"Why would I choose to reveal that which makes me smarter than you?" _

_"Let's say I want to learn from the master. Besides, you'll **always** be smarter than me," he said through gritted teeth. _

_The ego-stroking did it. "Fine. What can't you figure out?" Rodney asked, finally looking up. _

_"You didn't crash it until Evie had seen the picture of the who-- uhh…woman. How'd you know that she was in my quarters and looking at my laptop?" _

_"Oh, that was easy," Rodney replied in a tone that indicated the answer should have been obvious. "I had already hacked you, so I just used the laptop's microphone to hear what was going on." John nodded, impressed. "And she's right; sex really **is** all you think about." _

_"That conversation did not and still does not include you, McKay," John stated, more than a little annoyed at this invasion of his privacy; but there were more important things to deal with right now. "So how'd you keep me from deleting the picture?" _

_"Ah. That was a bit harder," Rodney said, tapping keys on his laptop as he began explaining…_

"Reverse psychology, my ass," Rodney muttered, silently cursing himself for letting his ego get him into trouble. Again.

After nearly an hour of fighting with John's _very_ nice hacking job and having to listen to John's insults -- Rodney would have just turned the sound down, but John had made sure that action wasn't possible -- Rodney decided that he needed help. He really didn't think that Zelenka would be in a mood to offer assistance after the puckmarin prank, but Rodney could always hope.

* * *

"…then Louie will release Winston, and _that_ is my Master Plan. Everybody understand?"

Kyle and Louie looked up at Aiden, blinking in confusion. "I don't get it," Kyle said, holding his jar of earthworms -- _Atlantisworms_, rather.

"Come on, I've been talking about this plan for days," Aiden said with a sigh. "Look, just follow me and Aaron, okay?"

"Okay." Kyle smiled and nodded.

"Louie, is Winston ready?" Aiden asked, turning to the other boy.

Louie proudly held up his motorized roach. "Yep!"

"Alright. Remember, Aaron, you have to keep them away from the table long enough for me and Kyle to leave the 'presents.'"

Aaron nodded. "Let's do this." He knocked on the door to the girls' room and when he heard a cheery "Come in!" the four boys entered, bent on disrupting the girls' playtime.

Rachel, Caitlyn, and Dakota were hosting a tea party for the younger girls, Skylar and Jamie, and the five of them had just sat down when the boys interrupted.

"You girls _have_ to come see this!" Aaron said, waving around something shiny he was holding in his hand.

"What is it?" Jamie asked, ever curious.

"It's a crystal my dad brought back from another planet," Aaron said dramatically.

Jamie and Skylar both got up from the table and ran over to see the pretty blue stone; the older girls followed suit after a moment.

While Aaron kept the girls busy, telling them about his new treasure, Aiden and Kyle sneaked over to the table and placed a few of the lethargic worms on the girls' cookie plates. Then Aiden nodded to Louie, who placed the very realistic-looking Winston on the floor, dragged him backwards to get him started, and then let him go.

Winston didn't head straight for the girls crowed around Aaron. No, Winston did better than that; he zigzagged across the floor just like a real cockroach would and finally darted between Dakota's feet.

Dakota screamed and jumped back. "Oh, kill it!" she shrieked, grabbing her sister's arm. "Catie, kill it!" Skylar and Jamie were screaming now as well and the boys were laughing hysterically. When Caitlyn stepped on the toy, however, Louie gasped at the plastic crunch that marked the death of his beloved Winston.

"Leave us alone!" Caitlyn said, kicking the roach's remains towards the boys.

"Chill out," Aiden said. "It's for Apri--"

"We don't care," Rachel said with a frown. "Now go away or I'm telling your moms."

Aiden nodded and tried his best to keep the empty worm-jar hidden between him and Kyle. Then he and Aaron ushered the younger boys out and quickly ran down the hall to their room.

"How long do you think it will take them to notice the worms?" Aiden asked.

Suddenly, several screams were heard through the walls.

"Not long," Aaron grinned.

* * *

"I know I was kind of mean this morning, but please… You've got to help me," Rodney begged.

Radek sighed and after a long pause, he nodded. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked, taking the laptop from his friend.

"Click something," Rodney muttered. "Anything."

Radek tried to open the control panel, but all of Rodney's tampering had only succeeded in completely freezing up the computer. When Radek clicked, he was startled to hear Sheppard taunting, "Are all Canadians as dumb as you, Rodney?"

Radek chuckled for a second, but quickly cleared his throat and regained his composure when he saw Rodney's irritated expression.

"Well, he definitely seems to have locked up the system," Radek said. "Have you tried turning it off?"

"I'm afraid that might permanently screw it up," Rodney answered.

Radek nodded. "Can we even do a system restore?" He tried.

"Try again…Meredith."

When Radek chuckled again, Rodney sighed. "Oh, _fine_!" He yanked the laptop away from the Czech. "I'll just get Elizabeth to _make_ him fix it," he grumbled and stormed away.

* * *

"According to the other children, it was all his idea," Evie said. "Will you please explain to him that you know it's a male thing to want to cause trouble and destruction but that this was very bad and he shouldn't do it ever again?"

John nodded. "I'll try my best."

"Thank you," she said, turning to leave. She and Ronon were supposed to swordfight in a few minutes and Aiden listened better to Sheppard's disciplinary words than hers anyway.

John went into Aiden's room and found his son sitting on his bed, looking sad. "Stupid girls," he sighed. "We didn't hurt 'em or anything. They take everything too seriously."

"Yeah," John said, sitting on the bed beside the accused boy.

"So, did my mom send you in here to punish me?" Aiden asked after a pause.

"Well, I'm supposed to tell you how bad that was and never to do it again… and you should be ashamed and think of how you would feel--"

"You should have seen the look on Koda's face when she saw that roach, Uncle John," Aiden interrupted with a smile.

"That good, huh?"

"They _all_ screamed and Koda jumped up and down and screamed for Catie to kill it. Oh, I just wish I could have seen their reactions to the worms…"

"Worms?"

"Yeah. Kyle brought some worms back from the mainland a few days ago," Aiden explained. "And we kind of…left them on the girls' plates of cookies."

John grinned and congratulated, "That's my boy," before he realized the phrasing of his words.

Aiden didn't seem to mind though, and he just flashed a matching grin.

XXXXXX

"What do I have to do to make you fix this?" Rodney asked, his mood a tad beyond exasperated.

"You mean your massively superior intellect couldn't crack my simple little hack?" John asked, mockingly.

"Would I be here if I had?" If John didn't fix this, Rodney was going to kill him. "Elizabeth said that since it was April Fool's, it was fair game. So, I'm here, asking you to _please_ fix this."

"All you had to do was ask, Rodney," John said, patting his furious friend on the shoulder. "And sing, of course."

"I _do not _sing," Rodney said resolutely.

"Then your laptop _do not _get fixed."

"Okay, those naked baby pictures are _so_ getting posted on the Atlantis bulletin board," Rodney threatened.

John shrugged. "So? I'm cute."

"Except for the part where your hair looks like Alfalfa from _The Little Rascals_," Rodney quipped.

"Are you gonna sing or not?"

"Fine! What do I have to sing?"

"The song that Kip sings at the end of Napoleon Dynamite," John said with a grin. "I think it suits you very well."

"Are you serious?" Rodney looked like he might kill John with his bare hands.

"I am."

"I still can't believe you actually _like_ that moronic movie…"

John shrugged again.

After an excruciating internal battle, Rodney sighed loudly. "_One_ chorus." He looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot and then began, "Yes, I lo--"

"Oh, not to me," John said, cutting him off.

"To who, then?!" Rodney cried.

"Calm down, Rodney," John said gently. "Come with me."

John led Rodney across the city and they reached the gym just as Ronon was coming out. "Ah! Just the man we're looking for," John said.

Rodney gulped. "We are?"

"Ronon, I think Rodney has a little something he'd like to tell you," John said with a grin, pushing Rodney out in front of Ronon.

Rodney was scared to death that if he started singing, Ronon might pound him on the head with his giant fist. Or squish him. Or throw him against a wall. Poor Rodney didn't know that Ronon was in on Sheppard's little joke.

"Go on, Rodney," John nudged.

"You promise that he won't kill me?" Rodney asked worriedly.

"I promise."

"And you promise that you'll fix my computer?"

"I promise."

Rodney swallowed hard and then began squeaking out, "Yes, I love technology. But not as much as you, you see. But I still love technology. Always and forever."

Ronon just stood there when Rodney finished, not seeing what Sheppard found so incredibly funny.

Amidst his laughter, John managed to give Ronon a prompting "go _on_" look.

Ronon sighed and finally ground out, "Your place or mine?"

This made John laugh even more and caused Rodney to instinctively start backing up. "Don't touch me, caveman," he muttered.

Trying to use an Earth euphemism in response, Ronon replied, "I wouldn't touch you with my ten inch pole."

The accidental double entendre sent Sheppard into another fit of laughter and Rodney tried to ignore John's immaturity by suggesting to Ronon, "I think you mean ten _foot_?"

Ronon shrugged. "I like mine better." Then he stepped around Rodney and left.

"Well, I've been thoroughly humiliated," Rodney said, poking John. "Are you happy?"

John nodded with an irrepressible grin.

"Will you just fix my damn computer?" Rodney said, his tone pleading now.

John nodded. "Punch the power button. When it reboots, it will ask you for a password; type in 'Sheppard is smarter than me.' All lower-case."

Rodney frowned. "That's it?"

"That's it."

Rodney began muttering insults as he walked off to retrieve his laptop. "You undermining, egomaniacal, sexified, destructive, reckless…"

John grinned. "Happy April Fool's to you, too, McKay."


	32. Let It Snow!

Author's Note: Whee! Graduation went well, but my summer has proved to be way more busy than I anticipated. I've got several more chapters written, but they're not neccesarily in order. **So, I'm gonna leave it up to you guys.** I have the next chapter done, but it will end with a bit of a cliffhanger and the ones that come right after it aren't quite finished. So would you guys rather me post each chapter as soon as I get it written, with no guarantee of how long y'all will have to wait for the resolution, or should I only post the next one when I have all the chapters dealing with that storyline done? Sorry that that sounded so confusing. I hope y'all get what I mean. **Please let me know how y'all would like me to proceed.** I promise that, either way, I _will_ finish this fic. :-D

* * *

**Eleven Years Old - December 2017**

"Like a moth being drawn to a candle, this is something that I can't resist. I guess you could say I'm addicted 'cause I keep coming back again and again. And after all of the storms that we've weathered, all the seasons of change we've been through, somehow the flame keeps getting brighter. With every little kiss I'm reminded how wonderful it is to be in love with you. With every little look, with every little touch, with every little kiss." - Steven Curtis Chapman, "With Every Little Kiss"

"Nivalin is all secured, ma'am," Lorne informed Weir over the radio.

Elizabeth smiled as she watched the event horizon shimmering within the Gate. "Good to hear, Colonel," she said. "There are several families ready and waiting."

"Send 'em on over, ma'am. McKenzie and Adams are already working on a snow fort." Though Elizabeth couldn't see his face, the amusement was evident in his tone.

"Will do, Colonel. Weir out."

"Oh, ma'am!" Lorne called before she had a chance to shut off the Gate.

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't happen to know if Dr. Heightmeyer is coming, would you?"

"We extended an open invitation to anyone in the city who wanted to come," Elizabeth answered. "If you want, I can stop by her office and check. Shall I tell her you were asking for her?"

"Well, I just thought she could use a break," Lorne said quickly. "She's always working, ma'am."

"I'll try my best to convince her to come, Colonel," Elizabeth said with an smile. "We should be there in about five minutes."

"We'll be wai-- Hey!" There was the sound of far-off laughter and then Lorne said, "If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I have a little snowball problem to take care of."

"Enjoy yourselves, Colonel. Weir out." With that, she nodded to Alfredo, who shut off the Gate. Chuck would have been on duty in the Gateroom as usual, but he was busy getting himself and Jamie bundled in warm clothes. "Put me on city-wide," she ordered the tiny Italian man. Alfredo touched the correct crystal and then gave her a thumbs-up. "This is Dr. Weir," she announced to the city. "All personnel and children wanting to go to Nivalin, please meet in the Gate room within five minutes."

* * *

"Mom, nobody else has to wear something this hideous!" Aiden complained as his mother handed him a scarf. 

"I don't care," Evie said, wrapping it around his neck when he refused to. "Your grandma made it for you and you're going to wear it."

"If you two don't stop fighting, you'll miss the field trip," John called from the open doorway. Evie and Aiden hadn't even heard him come in.

Evie smiled. "Hey, you made it! I thought you weren't going to be able to get off, sir?"

"Well, I told Elizabeth that I'd work during the Christmas Eve party this year if she'd let me go play in the snow," he said with a grin.

"You gonna be guarding the Control Room?" Evie asked.

"Nope. Kids' party this time."

She smiled. "Awesome. Me, too."

John pretended to look surprised. "Really? Wow, I had _no_ idea when I specifically asked Elizabeth about it."

His adorable grin and promise to spend Christmas Eve with her made Evie want to kiss him right then and there, but fortunately Aiden spoke up before she could say or do anything.

"Uncle John, do I _have _to wear this stupid scarf?" he asked with a frown.

John looked at the garment with obvious distaste. "Well--"

"Yes. He does," Evie said firmly. "My momma spent time on it and wants to know that he actually wore it."

John thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Where's your camera, Captain?"

Evie pulled her teeny digital camera from the pocket of her thick, warm coat.

"Alright," he said, taking it from her and aiming it at Aiden, "now look like you're enjoying yourself."

Aiden smiled big, not realizing how much it made him look like Sheppard.

John took the picture and then handed the camera back to Evie. "Now you can show her proof he wore it," he said as he pulled the colorful monstrosity off of Aiden.

"Thanks, Uncle John," Aiden said, heading for the door. "C'mon, mom, we don't wanna get left!"

As Evie watched her son dash out the door sans scarf, she turned and gave her husband a stern look. "Do you do things like that just to irritate me?" she asked with great annoyance.

"Why, sweetheart, I have no idea what you're talking about," he said and leaned over to kiss her.

Evie put her hand against his mouth and stopped him. "Save it, Uncle John," she said, using a tone that let him know she wasn't angry at him, but wasn't terribly pleased either.

XXXXXX

"Father, you cannot throw the snowballs that hard," Terena said with a sigh. "Mother said to remind you to be gentle; she does not want you to hurt anyone."

"Whatever you say, squirt," Ronon said as he handed his five-year-old another large snowball. "Just remember how I taught you to aim."

"I will, father," Terena said with a smile as she sent a snowball flying over the wall of the snow fort. There was a cry from the other side when the icy projectile hit its mark, then Kyle shouted, "We ain't goin' down without a fight!" When Terena popped her head up to retort, Kyle yelled, "Now!" Suddenly, Terena and Ronon were hit with a half dozen snowballs.

Aaron and Aiden had sneaked around behind Terena's fort, while Louie and Kyle had stayed over behind their own to draw their attention.

"You boys do not fight fairly!" Terena called as she ducked behind her father and began quickly creating more ammunition.

* * *

"Oh, Jamie!" Dakota called. "Your snowlady is so pretty!" 

Jamie smiled as she draped a strand of blue beads around the neck of her decorated snow sculpture. "My daddy helped me," she said with a big smile in her father's direction. "Mommy, mommy! Take a picture of my snowlady!" Jamie called to her mother, M'lea.

"Hey, Catie," Dakota said, turning to her sister. "Where did _our_ dad go?"

"Dunno," Caitlyn said, putting the last two rocks onto her snowman's face and completing its smile. "Let's go find him!"

* * *

"So the dad goes to check on the optimist twin and finds him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. 'What are you so happy about?' he asks. And the optimist twin replies, 'Well, there's gotta be a pony in here somewhere!'" 

Laura, Evie, and McKenzie laughed heartily at Mary's joke.

"So which of your daughters gets the horse crap, McKay?" McKenzie teased Rodney.

"Shouldn't you be guarding something, Captain?" Rodney asked, not amused. "Or making sure a Wraith doesn't pop out of a snowdrift?"

"Relax, doc," McKenzie said with a carefree smile. "The Nivalins assured us that they're the only inhabitants of this winter wonderland."

Laura frowned when she saw Sheppard talking to Adams several yards away. "Colonel Sheppard comes on this _fun_ excursion and then he spends the whole time talking Wraith strategies with Major Adams?"

"Looks like it," Evie said, turning to watch her husband.

"Even _Carson_ and _Elizabeth _are having fun," Laura commented, pointing to where the aforementioned workaholics were sledding down a large hill with their respective children alongside Summer, Michael, and Skylar. "You'd think the colonel would have done something immature by now, like… dumping snow down the back of somebody's coat or something," she said with a grin.

"Oh, well, if it's immature you want…" Evie said, bending down and making a snowball. She stood up and threw it at her husband.

When John felt the cold, wet snowball explode on the back of his head, he whirled around, the annoyed expression on his face promising revenge on his attacker.

Evie innocently pointed at Rodney, who squeaked when John focused his glare on him. "It wasn't me! It was _her_!" he cried incredulously, pointing back at Evie.

Choosing the side that they thought would provide the most humorous result, McKenzie and Laura pointed to Rodney as well.

"Oh, come on!" Rodney cried, starting to back away when he saw the scowl on John's face, contradicted by the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. When John charged him, McKay turned and ran, but Sheppard caught up to him in a matter of seconds and tackled him into a snowdrift.

"Ahh! Stop! No! No, not down my collar!" Rodney shouted, trying to stop John from doing just what Laura had predicted. "Holy--! _Cold_!" John grinned. "Get off me!" Rodney demanded, pushing the pilot away.

John backed off, leaving the poor scientist deep in the snow just as his girls came running up. "Daddy, Daddy! What are you doing?"

"Oh, cold! Oh, cold, cold, _cold_!" Rodney muttered as he sat up and attempted to get the snow out of his coat.

When Dakota saw the indentation her father had left in the snow, she gasped, "Let's make snow angels! C'mon, daddy!" She lay down next to him and spread her arms and legs, moving them back and forth.

"Yeah, c'mon, dad!" Caitlyn said, pushing her father back down into the snow and lying by his other side.

"Have fun with those snow angels, Rodney," John taunted.

Moving his arms reluctantly, Rodney growled, "When I get my hands on you, I'll--"

"Rodney!" John interrupted, pointing to the twins. "There are little ears present!"

Rodney just glared at him.

* * *

"So, colonel, wha--" Kate was silenced when Lorne held a finger to his lips and pointed at the gorgeous, tiny rabbit-like creature poised in the snow, nibbling at the few grass shoots that remained. Kate lowered her voice to one just above a whisper. "What is it that you're doing over here all by yourself?" The easel before him made the answer quite obvious, but she wanted to start a conversation. 

"I got kind of tired of painting the city, ma'am," he answered in an equally quiet tone. "And I thought it would be nice to try a different landscape."

Kate moved closer to him so that she could see the painting better. He had captured the rabbit eating a small, blue blossom, with the snow-dusted trees in the background. "It's beautiful," she breathed. "You've definitely got talent."

"Thank you, ma'am," he replied almost bashfully.

"Please, Colonel, call me Kate," she asked.

"Only if you'll call me Marcus," he answered with a smile.

Kate returned the smile. "How long have you been painting?" she asked.

"About an hour." When she turned and gave him her trademark, psychiatrist, "you know what I meant" look, he smiled again. "Since I was old enough to hold a brush; my mom was an art teacher."

"She must have been amazing," Kate commented. "I took a year of art in high school and I never learned to do anything like this."

"Would you like to try?" Lorne asked, offering her the brush.

Kate quickly shook her head. "Oh, nono, I would ruin it," she answered.

"Nah, give it a try," Lorne encouraged. "Look, I'll do it with you." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he directed her to stand between him and the canvas. He dabbed some fresh color onto the brush and then placed it in her hand, gently closing his over hers. "Now, give the tree branches some depth," he said softly as he guided her strokes. "See, Kate? You're a regular Michelangelo."

Kate smiled.

XXXXXX

"Aaaaaaaaaand, the last kid's out," Evie said, smiling at the small device in her hand. "I _love_ this thing. McKay really is a genius to have been able to tweak the life-signs detector like that."

"McKay's a genius, blah, blah, blah. If all the kids are asleep, what are you still doing on 'your' side of the couch?" John complained.

Evie smiled. "Hold your horses," she said, pressing a button on the device. Last year at the kids' annual Christmas Eve sleepover, Louie had pretended to be sleeping and when his caretakers had finally fallen asleep, he'd snuck down to the Hall and gotten himself well on his way to drunk on spiked punch. After sleeping off his own hangover, Rodney had set about to creating a hybrid of the life-signs detector and the pod-interface technology from the _Aurora_. He'd ended up with a brilliant device that could detect all the brain waves within a certain radius, and distinguish them as awake or unconscious.

When Evie had made sure she had set it to alert them if one of the children should wake up, she crawled across the couch and into John's lap. She gently kissed his lips. "Thanks for volunteering to stay here with me," she said softly.

"No place else I'd rather be," he smiled.

When a sudden and clearly drunken cheer arose from the party down the long hall, Evie inquired, "You sure?"

"Positive." He kissed her again. "Though…you could go and get us some punch," he suggested with a twinkle in his eye.

Evie shook her head emphatically. "John, there is no way in heck that you will ever convince me to consume _any_ alcohol _ever_ again. Not after what happened in Mexico."

John chuckled in remembrance. "But it was _fun_. I even got you to dirty dance with me."

She blushed. "Oh, yes. That was just one of the many scandalous things I did that night."

John rolled his eyes. "Right. When I think of you, the first adjective that comes to mind is '_scandalous_.'"

"What _does_ come to mind then?"

John thought for a minute, then smirked. "Mine." This time the kiss was deeper, more possessive. Evie pulled away from him after a second. "What if one of the kids wakes up and sees us like that?" she cautioned.

"We'll blame it on the mistletoe," John answered simply.

"There is no mistletoe in here."

"Well, it's dark and the kid won't know that."

Evie shook her head and got off the couch. She walked over to where her sleeping bag and thick blanket lay against the wall. Picking up the blanket, she turned back to him and ordered, "Lie down." John did so and Evie lay down on the couch next to him, pulling the blanket up over them both.

"Oh, so we can't kiss but we can snuggle on the couch under a blanket?"

Evie shrugged. "We can just say we're cold."

"You know what I think?" he asked, sliding his arm around her waist.

"What do you think?" she whispered, resting her arm over his.

"I think you just make up the rules as you go along," he said, and then kissed her again before she had a chance to protest.

They lay there in silence for a minute, then Evie started giggling quietly.

"And just what is so funny, Captain?" John asked.

"I was thinking about that one Christmas…waaaaaaaaay back when," she said with a smile. "You got Aiden that walking, talking Robot of Doom and we had to put the stupid thing together."

"You mean when the only instructions we had were in frickin' Japanese?"

Evie grinned and nodded. "And you were frustrated and swearing and threatening to break things…"

"Hey, you might not have been cursing the entire nation of Japan, but you were pretty pissed, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah… And then you said something. Oh, what was it? And we just started laughing an--"

John uttered something in Japanese and then added, "The only phrase I knew."

Evie smiled. "And what's it mean again? 'Where's the bathroom?'"

He shook his head and grinned. "'I'm a sneaky ninja and I'm going to kill you.'"

She laughed lightly. "And then we finally got the dang thing together."

"Good times."

"_Good_ times?"

"Hey, we were frustrated, but we were together," he murmured, sliding his hand up to begin gently rubbing her back.

"You are so adorable when you try to be romantic," she teased before giving him one last kiss.

"Where you going?" John asked when she pulled out of his embrace.

"You keep rubbing my back like that, I'm gonna fall asleep, and we can't fall asleep on the couch together, so I'm going to crawl into my sleeping bag," Evie explained as she pulled out her thick bedroll.

"Oh. You sure you don't want the couch?" he asked, ever the gentleman.

"Believe me, after all of those nights of sleeping on the floor of the bus for high school road trips, I think I'll be fine."

"Okay." He snuggled deeper into the worn sofa, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. "Merry Christmas, happy holidays, good night, sleep well," he mumbled as he rolled over.

"Aren't you forgetting one?" she asked as she finished unrolling her sleeping bag.

"Happy Hanukah."

Evie snorted. "John…"

"I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too."


	33. Deadly Distraction

A/N: Holy crap, summer's been hectic. Everything's settling down now(except for a trip to Dallas that promises to be _extremely_ boring :P) Anyways, posting should come back to something close to regular. Maybe a week between chapters? (For this next set anyways) Thank you all for sticking with me:-D

Ameelya, I has rote dis chaptur jus for you. :-D

* * *

**Twelve Years Old - 2018**

"Help me help you. They won't be there. Help me help you. They won't see. It hurts when you need me and I can't break your fall. It hurts when you can't see. And it hurts." - Thousand Foot Krutch, "Hurt"

"Any sign of that speemmander, Captain?" John called to Evie, who was bringing up the rear of the team as they made their way back to the Gate.

"I don't see any captains around here, sir. Who you talking to?" she replied with a grin.

John sighed. "Right. Any sign of that speemmander, _Major_?"

Evie smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. And you'll be the first to know, sir," she answered tiredly, scanning the trees behind them once again. She was filling in for Teyla again, who was at home with Terena. The poor little girl had caught some sort of alien bug with flu-like symptoms. When Elizabeth had commented to John that it would be fine for just the three of them to go, Sheppard had quickly made up the excuse that things worked better with four; Major Brooks wasn't doing anything, anyway. Elizabeth had approved his request for Evie to join them, though John wondered if it hadn't just been to stop his rant about four-person team dynamics.

"Good grief, how much farther is it to the Gate?" Rodney whined.

"McKay…" John really wasn't in the mood for Rodney's usual complaints; the mission hadn't exactly gone well.

"Well, since we walked the whole _four miles_ to their stupid little settlement, the least those ingrates could have done was share some of their technology," Rodney insisted.

"For the last time," John sighed, "we didn't have anything they wanted or needed."

"Yeah, but--"

"Look, we all know the mission failed and we're all tired," Ronon cut him off, his patience wearing thin. "Can you just keep your mouth shut until we get back?"

Rodney looked offended. "Fine," he pouted.

Attempting to steer the conversation back into a more pleasant direction, Evie spoke up. "They _were_ kind enough to warn us about the speemmander." The residents of the community had told them that they lived in harmony with a race of aliens known as speemmanders, light blue lizard-like creatures who walked on two legs and stood about two feet tall. The beings were harmless, they said, but one of them had managed to "appropriate" a small weapon from a citizen. The residents cautioned the Atlanteans that while they didn't think the creature could figure out how to use it, they ought to be on their guard anyway.

"Oh, yes," Rodney said sarcastically. "How very nice of--"

"What did I just say?" Ronon growled.

Rodney shot the Satedan a dirty look. "Yes, sir," he answered sulkily, injecting the 'sir' with extra sarcasm for good measure.

Evie rolled her eyes and then inspected their surroundings once more. She tried her best not to groan aloud; she was disappointed that the mission had gained them nothing, her feet were tired of walking, and they were still at least a mile and a half away from the Stargate. _'What to think about? What to think about?'_ she pondered to herself. She missed the days when Johnson would let her have an immature moment and play "I spy" on long treks. Looking around, bored, her eyes came to rest upon her husband's rear end. _'Course, ogling beats "I spy" any day.'_ She watched as his knife lightly smacked him with each step he took. _'Mmm, I'd like to smack me some of that,'_ Evie thought with a smirk. So intent on her staring and naughty thoughts, she didn't hear the rustling behind her until it was too late.

Bang!

The gunshot and resulting cry of pain jerked her back to reality. As she whirled around to face the attacker, she saw McKay clutching a hand to his neck out of the corner of her eye.

The three soldiers felt a little silly aiming their weapons at such a cute little lizard. It had red swirling designs decorating its body and was looking in confusion at the weapon in its hands. The instant the alien started to move again, Ronon shot it, the red blast of energy from his weapon enveloping the creature, who convulsed and then fell to the ground. Ronon moved to grab the weapon, while Evie and John turned around to see what kind of condition Rodney was in.

"Rodney!" John was immediately by his side. "Are you okay?"

"No, I am _not_ okay, dammit!" Rodney cried, blood spurting out from between his fingers covering the wound. "I-I think it nicked my carotid artery!"

John's eyes widened as he saw the amount of blood McKay was losing. "Sit down, sit down," he ordered worriedly, placing his hand over Rodney's to try to stop the flow of blood. As Rodney went down, muttering things about how he never thought he'd die like this, John shot Evie a glare. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd been doing your job!"

Evie was incredulous, though she knew he was right. This _was_ her fault. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I lost my focus, but it was only for a few seconds! Man, I am so sorry!" She knew tears wouldn't help right now, but this was serious.

"What the hell were you doing?" John asked, furious, as he kept his fingers pressed over McKay's artery. "You were supposed to be watching our six!"

Evie stopped herself before sarcastically commenting that she _had_ been watching his six; this wasn't the time for humor. "I got…distracted," she answered nervously.

"What the hell kind of excuse is that?" he growled, attempting to withdraw a bandage from his vest.

"What do you want me to say? 'I saw big, pink unicorns in the sky'?" she retorted, her anger at his refusal to accept her apology quickly overtaking her guilt.

"Just shut up and get his gear," he commanded harshly. The amount of blood that trickled from Rodney's wound as John removed his fingers to press the gauze side of the bandage against McKay's neck was very disconcerting.

Rodney cried out in pain at the pressure. "Yo-you're gonna…kill me before Beckett…even ha-has a…chance to," he accused weakly as his body began trembling.

"Don't talk, Rodney," John ordered. "Just sit still; we're gonna get you back to Atlantis." Keeping his hand on the bandage, John attempted to pull Rodney up and Ronon quickly stepped in to help get him to his feet. "Alright, let's go." When Rodney tried to stand and his knees buckled beneath him, Ronon caught him and picked him up in his arms with little difficulty.

Seeing that Rodney's blood had already soaked through the bandage, Sheppard yanked another one from Evie's vest and placed it on top of the first, earning another yelp of pain from the astrophysicist.

Trying to move quickly _and_ keep pressure on the wound proved difficult, so John took Rodney's hand and placed it on the bandages. "Rodney, you gotta keep pressure on it," he said. "You hear me?"

"Yes. Hear you," Rodney answered haltingly and he winced as he complied with the order.

Even though they could now set a pace that was just short of running, they were still a good mile from the Gate. "Sheppard… Te-tell Mary--"

"Stop it, McKay," John cut him off. "You're gonna be fine. Ronon, keep his head higher than his heart."

Ronon tried his best to shuffle Rodney's weight to do as Sheppard had requested.

"'m not gonna…m-make it to th' Gate," Rodney insisted through clenched teeth. "Please. Tell her she-she's the…best thing…ever happened t'me."

John saw that the new bandage was nearly saturated again. "Rodney, you gotta calm down," he said worriedly. "Your heart's pumping too hard."

"Calm down?" Rodney gritted his teeth against the pain as he pressed the bandage harder against the wound. "Are you kidding?"

"Well, if you keep losing so much blood, you're not gonna make it!"

"Oh…_thank_ you f-for the…encouragement!" Rodney yelled, his breathing becoming more rapid. "That's very c-calming!"

"Well, _you_ were just saying that--"

"I _know_ what I was just--" Rodney stopped mid-sentence.

John looked up at Rodney fearfully and swore when he saw that the man was unconscious. "Rodney!" No response. "Put him down," he ordered, bringing his hand up to replace McKay's, which was now hanging limply. The two men slowly knelt to the ground where Ronon gently lay Rodney down.

Evie dug through Rodney's vest until she found their last remaining bandage and worriedly handed it to John, who still had his own fingers pressed against the wound. Tears came to her eyes as the realization that this was all her fault slapped her in the face again. She didn't even hear John until the third time he called her.

"Major!"

"What?" Normally she would have gone with "Sir?", but she was too upset right now.

"Get to the Gate," he ordered. "Tell Beckett to get back here in a jumper _now_!"

"I'm faster," Ronon said, standing up. "I'll go." John nodded his approval and Ronon began running in the direction of the Stargate.

Feeling guilty and utterly useless, Evie asked worriedly, "Is… Is there anything I can do?"

"I need you to get away from me right now," he answered in a dangerously quiet voice, too upset to yell at her anymore.

Evie nodded quickly and walked several yards away, where she sat with her back against a lone tree and tried her best not to cry.

"C'mon, buddy, don't you die on me now," John said, taking Rodney's hand and giving it a tight squeeze. He found the gesture -- which had come automatically to him -- awkward for a moment until he realized that nobody was around to draw the wrong conclusions and besides, his friend needed him.

A few seconds later, Rodney's eyes slowly blinked open. "Sh-Sheppard?"

John heaved a sigh of relief. "You really scared me there, buddy. How're you doin'?"

"Everything's fuzzy… Dark…" Rodney mumbled feebly.

Seeing that their one last bandage was nearing complete saturation, John announced to his semi-conscious friend, "You're losing too much blood."

"So… What now?" Rodney managed.

John thought for a moment, then said, "Rodney… I'm gonna have to cauterize this."

Rodney's eyes widened at first, then he swallowed and nodded bravely.

Not knowing what else to use, John decided to try something that he'd seen on CSI ages ago. He pulled out his nine mil.

"You didn't say…you were gonna sh-shoot me!"

"Calm down, Rodney," John said, aiming his weapon up in the air. "This is gonna hurt."

"Th-thank you…Captain Obvious," Rodney said snippily.

John had to smile a little at the fact that not even imminent pain had dimmed McKay's snarky side. Removing the bandage, he fired his gun and then quickly placed the smoking barrel against the wound.

Rodney screamed.

Hating that he was the one causing his friend such pain, Sheppard grimly continued. Just before John was finished, Rodney cried something to the effect of, "Oh, God, just kill me!" and then passed out due to the pain.

When he was done, John dropped his gun and pulled McKay toward him, trying to keep the freshly burnt wound stable. He ended up with the scientist sprawled across his knees, Rodney's head supported in John's hands, his legs splayed out to Sheppard's left. "I'm so sorry," he whispered sadly.

John shifted Rodney's head to his right hand so that his left was free to grab McKay's left hand, which he gripped until he thought that Carson might have to amputate it. He didn't care. He needed the warm reassurance that Rodney's heart was still beating, that precious life-giving blood was still flowing. "Hang on, buddy," he said softly. "You're gonna make it."


	34. Accusations, Confessions, and Jello Solu

****

Chapter Thirty-Four - Accusations, Confessions, and Jello Solutions

Twelve Years Old - 2018

__

"Should have stayed in bed today. I couldn't think of a positive thing to say. My friends all hate me now. I was selfish I realize now. I gave it a little time, I thought about it a while. Ask to forgive and forget, crack a joke and a smile. It's hard to say you're sorry when you know that you were wrong. The weight of hurting words we often carry on." - MxPx, "Sorry So Sorry"

John had only been waiting with Rodney about ten minutes when he heard the familiar hum of a puddle jumper zooming towards them. He looked up and saw the small Lantean craft nearing their position. "Thank God," John muttered, releasing Rodney's hand.

Evie joined him after a few seconds. "I'll get his gear," she said quietly, picking up Rodney's pack and his P-90, along with John's nine millimeter.

The jumper landed by them a minute later and Carson, Ronon, and a medical team rushed forth as soon as the ramp was lowered enough for them to wheel the gurney out. Ronon was quickly by John's side, gently picking up Rodney's limp body and doing his best to obey Carson's order of "set 'im down carefully now."

Seeing John's improvised cauterization attempt, Carson exclaimed, "What did you do?!"

"I had to stop the bleeding!" John said worriedly as they entered the jumper.

"What did you use?" Carson asked, starting Rodney's IV.

"My nine mil," he answered before being pushed aside by one of the members of the medical team.

Carson swore. "A filthy gun? Now it's going to get bloody infected!" When he glanced up at John and saw how devastated he looked, the doctor added, "But you probably saved his life." Carson began checking Rodney's vital signs and then said, "Colonel, what are you still doing here?"

"What?"

"I can't tend to Rodney and fly the bloody ship at the same time," Carson declared impatiently. "Go!"

John nodded and quickly ran to the front of the jumper, sliding into the pilot's seat. When Evie and Ronon were shooed out of the way and up to the front as well, John shot her a dirty look.

"Carson says once they get him back, he should be okay," she offered timidly.

"Just sit down and shut up," John growled as the puddlejumper lifted off the ground.

XXXXXX

"Evie, I'm sure he'll be okay," Summer consoled her distraught friend as they leaned against the railing of the balcony. "You know Carson's the best doctor in two galaxies."

"That doesn't make me feel any better about what happened," Evie said quietly, twisting her hands together anxiously.

"It's not like it's your fault he--"

"Yes, it is!" Evie interrupted forcefully, and Summer cocked an eyebrow inquisitively. Evie lowered her voice. "The villagers warned us that one of the speemmanders had run off with a weapon…"

* * *

Having been kicked out of the infirmary by a certain busy and annoyed Scotsman, John had asked around for Major Brooks. Michael had told him that he had seen Evie and Summer heading out to one of the balconies. He'd pointed in the right direction and called to Sheppard's retreating form that Evie had looked very upset.

John came upon the two ladies -- who were facing the Lantean sea and therefore didn't see him approach -- just as Evie was finishing her confession. "…_all_ tired and I kind of…let my eyes wander to John's butt," she mumbled the embarrassing part, her voice shaky at best. "And then Rodney got shot. So it really is my fault."

"Major Murphy?" John called, announcing his presence.

Evie stiffened when she heard his voice; he did _not_ sound happy.

"Sir?" Summer asked, turning around.

"Take a walk," he "requested", nodding his head in the direction of the city.

"Yes, sir," Summer answered and quickly left.

Evie chewed her lip nervously during the agonizing silence that followed as John waited for Summer to walk out of earshot.

"What the hell happened out there?" John demanded a few seconds later.

Evie quickly wiped her eyes before he could see the tears pooling there. "John, please don't," she begged in a voice that threatened to give.

He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her around to look at him. She tried to jerk herself out of his grip and they struggled for a minute before she gave up and met his eyes. The accusing fury she saw there frightened her a little. "John--"

"_Major_," he began icily. "What was so damn distracting that you let McKay get shot?"

Evie gave him a warning frown and then dropped her gaze when she saw how upset he was. She hated to admit that Rodney had been shot because she was paying more attention to John's backside than to the woods behind them, but she knew that he wasn't going to let it go until she confessed. "Because I was staring at you," she said after a long pause, each word forced out with painstaking clarity.

He had overheard her worried, tearful confession to Summer, but wanted her to suffer further by repeating it to him. "Be specific, Major."

She looked back up at him, both hurt and animosity reflected in her eyes. When he merely returned her glare with a cold stare of his own, she ground out through clenched teeth, "At your butt."

John's lips curved upward slightly in a sort of wry, triumphant smirk. "And you think that staring at my ass is a good excuse for letting a team member get shot?"

"No! Look, I said I was _really_ sorry, wh--"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Major!" he interrupted with a growl. "You could have gotten him _killed_!"

"Call me by my name, darn it!" she demanded angrily.

"No, _Major_," he answered harshly and Evie's jaw tightened. She _so _did not need to start crying right now. "You should know damn well that when we're in the field, it's 'colonel' and 'major.' And if you can't keep that straight, then you can't be in the field." With that coarse ultimatum, John turned on his heel and left Evie upset, angry, and very hurt.

XXXXXX

Carson thought he'd heard and seen it all when it came to doped up patients, but when Emma told him that he ought to check on Rodney, he couldn't help but laugh.

Rodney had somehow managed to pull the pillow from behind his head and into his arms, where he was attempting to cuddle with it. He was slowly coming to, but hadn't opened his eyes yet. Carson was about to wake him up when Rodney mumbled something into the pillow that sounded like, "Love my…pretty, _squishy_ Mary…"

Carson chuckled and then said, "I don't think your wife would appreciate being called 'squishy', Rodney. Though I don't think the pillow minds."

Rodney stopped snuggling with the pillow. He inhaled deeply and when he smelled the familiar sterile environment, he slowly cracked an eye open. "This isn't my bed, is it?"

"It is for now," Carson answered. "Until you heal."

"Heal?" Now he opened the other eye as well.

"Yes, Rodney. You've been shot."

Rodney suddenly panicked. "Shot?! Where?"

"Calm down, Rodney," Carson said gently, injecting a stronger painkiller into Rodney's IV now that the wounded man was awake.

"Tell me where I got shot!" Rodney demanded.

"You… You can't feel it?" Carson asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

Rodney gave the doctor a blank look that would have been accompanied by a sarcastic "Would I be _asking_ if I could?" had Rodney not been so dosed.

"Your neck," Carson said, gesturing to his own.

"…that's not a hickey?" Rodney questioned, still stuck on his thoughts of Mary.

Carson fought the urge to roll his eyes. "No, Rodney."

"Oh," Rodney said, nodding slowly. Feeling the medicine starting to kick in already, he said, "Oh, man, you gave me the _goood_ stuff."

"Only the best for _you_, Rodney," Carson teased, taking advantage of his friend's drugged state.

One of the things that medicine had been able to perfect over the last ten years was the speed at which the drugs took affect; only a few seconds later, Rodney was giving the doctor a goofy grin. "Carson," he said with a very un-Canadian drawl, "you're my bestestest friend."

Carson chuckled again. "Why thank you, Rodney." A short pause later he asked, "Do you think you're up for having visitors? There are a few people who would like very much to see you."

"My friends?"

"Aye, Rodney, your friends."

"I lllove my friends…"

"I'll have them drop by, then," Carson replied with his usual cheerful smile. He had just turned to go when McKay called him back. "Something the matter, Rodney?" he asked when he saw the peculiar stare the astrophysicist was giving him.

"Carson… why you going all…bendy?"

"Take it easy, Rodney," Carson said, "and try to stay awake long enough for Colonel Sheppard to see that you're alive and well." He left, adding a muttered, "Then maybe he'll stop bloody stalking me."

XXXXXX

When Carson paged Sheppard to the infirmary, it was nearly an hour after John had so harshly reprimanded Evie; he'd been pouting in his quarters since then, not doubting that Carson would sedate him if he so much as set foot in the infirmary until he had been called for. "What is it?" John wondered worriedly as soon as he saw Carson.

"I thought you'd like to know that Rodney has regained consciousness."

"So he's gonna make it?"

"Most definitely." Carson gave the pilot a reassuring smile.

"Can I talk to him?" John asked anxiously.

"Well, you can try, but we've got him on strong painkillers, so he may be off in pony-land again."

John nodded knowingly. "Thanks, doc," he said as he went to find his friend. When he spotted him, Rodney was staring _very_ intently at his small bowl of blue jello, so John allowed himself an unguarded moment of relief. Then he cleared his throat to get Rodney's attention.

"Hi, John!" Rodney said and then giggled lightly as he returned his attention to the wobbling jello cube on his spoon.

"Hey. Glad to see you're awake, buddy."

Rodney looked back up at John. "Buddy!" he repeated with a smile. "That's nice…" he said, apparently pondering the term of friendly endearment. After a minute, he said, "Guess what?"

"What?" John asked, pulling a chair over next to Rodney's bed and sitting down.

"I got shot," Rodney announced, very matter-of-factly.

"I know, Rodney; I was there."

Having only a vague blur of jumbled memories of the event, Rodney stared at John in confusion for a minute. Remembering John pulling out his weapon, Rodney asked, "Did _you_ shoot me?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Then who did?" Rodney asked, noisily slurping the jello off his spoon.

"A spam-- speed-- sp-- a lizard, Rodney," John simplified at last. "It was a lizard."

Rodney thought about this for a minute. "…four legs, tail--" he flicked his tongue out in a reptilian imitation, "--lizard?"

"Pretty much," John nodded.

"Hey, Carson!" Rodney called across the room. "I got shot by a _lizard_!"

"That's fascinating, Rodney," Carson answered patiently, without looking away from Lukas, who had come in for his weekly appointment.

"Dr. McKay's certainly acting like a _pitomý osel_, isn't he, Dr. Beckett?" Lukas asked as Carson injected him with his medicine.

"It's the drugs," Carson said, placing a colorful, cartoon band-aid over the skin in which he'd stuck the needle. "Though I'm not sure whether I ought to agree with you or wash your mouth out with soap," he teased with mock-sternness.

Lukas just smiled.

XXXXXX

When Evie had heard John being paged to the infirmary, she'd figured that it was about Rodney. She'd waited about fifteen minutes before making her way to the infirmary; she'd been hoping to avoid running into John altogether. Unfortunately, she should have waited a few more minutes, because she nearly knocked him down as she was entering and he was leaving.

"In a hurry, Major?" he asked, though when he addressed her by her rank it lacked the bite and authority of their last argument.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Evie asked worriedly as they stepped out into the hall.

"He'll survive," he answered, "no thanks to you." John didn't really know why he added that last part, and when he saw her quickly drop her gaze, the nicer half of him had the thought that maybe he should ease up.

"You can't treat me like this," she said quietly, though her voice had an edge to it.

Unfortunately, the side that was worried about Rodney was winning, as he replied, "And why not?"

"You can't treat _anyone_ like this!" she cried. "Least of all me." She glanced behind her to make sure that no one was within earshot, then lowered her voice anyways. "I'd have hoped all these years as your wife would have made me at least a little bit special."

"Yeah, well, Rodney's been my friend a little longer, okay?" he replied thoughtlessly, but immediately wished he could take it back when he saw her crestfallen expression. "Evie…" At a loss for words, he didn't say anything more.

"Wish the stupid lizard had shot _you_," she muttered loud enough for him to hear.

"You don't mean that," he said after a pause.

"No, I do," she said, raising her eyes to look at him, "because then you wouldn't be out here beating me over the head with the mistake I already feel horrible about!" Having made her point, Evie continued to frown at him and was surprised when he started looking a little sheepish after a few seconds.

After nearly a minute of very uncomfortable silence, she finally asked, "Well?"

"Well, what? You want a hug or something?" he inquired in a tone that wasn't _entirely_ patronizing.

"Oh, yes, John," Evie answered in a tone that _was_ entirely sarcastic, "a hug would make everything you said just go away."

"Fine then, I'll just leave," he declared, throwing his hands up. His attitude was nowhere near as venomous and angry as it had been when this ordeal had started, but Evie could tell that he hadn't quite forgiven her yet. As she watched him go, a part of her was okay with that; she hadn't forgiven herself yet either.


	35. There and Back Again

A/N: To my two lovely ladies, I hope your move-ins both went well. Bethany, would you believe I wrote the rec room scene _before_ I came over to your house the other week? Hehe. :-D

Unfortunately, y'all, I'm a little stuck on the next chapter, so it may be a little longer. :-P

* * *

Twelve Years Old - 2018

"It's been one week since you looked at me, dropped your arms to your sides, and said, 'I'm sorry.' Five days since I laughed at you and said, 'You just did just what I thought you were gonna do.' Three days since the living room. We realized we're both to blame, but what could we do? Yesterday you just smiled at me, 'cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry." - Barenaked Ladies, "One Week"

Kate was preparing for a session with the late-as-usual Michael Murphy when Lorne entered her office. "Something I can help you with, Colonel?" she asked.

He reached for her hand and pulled her to stand in front of him, letting his hands rest gently on her hips. "You're looking particularly beautiful this morning, Doctor," he said sweetly.

"And you look rather dashing yourself," she returned with a smile. "Now was there something you needed or did you just miss me?"

"I dropped by to say that my team is going off-world," Marcus answered. "Might be a few days."

Kate nodded. "Be safe," she cautioned, softly touching his cheek.

"Well, we're basically just babysitting Zelenka and his team," he replied with a slight eye-roll, "but I'll try to make sure he doesn't blow us all up."

"Thank you."

"I might even bring you back something nice," he teased and she smiled sweetly. Then he leaned in to kiss her. Kate slowly wound her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer, nestling them into a steamy embrace.

Oblivious to all but the woman in his arms, Lorne didn't hear the small voice at first. "What are you doing?" it repeated with a giggle.

Kate and Marcus broke the kiss and looked down to see Terena peeking up at them from underneath Kate's desk. "Sweetie, what are you doing here?" Kate asked, surprised.

"We are playing hide and seek," the five-year-old answered innocently. "What are _you_ doing?"

Kate looked to Lorne, who just shrugged and nodded his approval. "When two people love each other, Terena, they sometimes like to express that love by sharing kisses," she explained with only the slightest sense of awkwardness.

"Oh." The dark-skinned girl seemed to think about this for a minute. "Is it fun?"

Kate blushed. "Yes, dear."

"But you don't need to worry about kissing boys until you're much older," Marcus assured her.

"Okay."

"Now why don't you run along and find a different hiding place?" Kate suggested.

Terena nodded and crawled out of the small space. Then she dashed out of the room with a quick wave.

Kate smiled as she watched the young girl leave. She knew that she and Marcus were past the point of having children, so she was grateful for the time she got to spend with the other youngsters on Atlantis.

"Well, that was interesting," Lorne said with a chuckle.

"Never a dull moment with little ones around," she nodded.

"I'll see you in a few days," he said, gently kissing her again. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

When Kyle saw Terena running down the hall, he quickly chased after her. As he was a year older than her and a few inches taller, he caught up to her after about twenty seconds. "Got you!" he said as he tagged her arm. Panting lightly, the children slowed their pace. "Now you hafta be it, Terena," Kyle said with a grin. 

Terena looked at her friend for a minute. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him closer, pressing her small mouth to his.

The timing was so precise that it must have been fate. Or perhaps an interfering ascended Ancient subconsciously whispering, "Walk this way." On his way to the gym, Ronon had run into Michael, who was hurrying to see Dr. Heightmeyer, and they'd been walking together for a few minutes. When they rounded the corner of the hallway, they were met with the sight of their children.

As soon as Michael saw his youngest son sharing a kiss with Ronon's little girl, he grabbed the bigger man's arm and pleaded, "Now, Ronon, there's no need to get violent about th-- Ughh!" Ronon had quickly shoved the anthropologist aside.

The children, who had separated as soon as they'd heard the voices, were now looking up, wide-eyed, at Ronon, who was stalking towards them.

Before any protests could be made by either of them, Ronon grabbed Kyle by the shoulders and yanked the boy up in the air so that they were face to face. "If you _ever_ touch her again," Ronon threatened, shaking Kyle so that his dangling feet swung, "I'll feed you to a whale!"

Half scared to the point where he was about to wet his pants and half angry that _he_ was the one being yelled at, he smarted, "Whales don't eat people…"

"You wanna say that again?" Ronon growled. Suddenly, he felt a small tugging on his pant-leg.

"Father…" Terena spoke quietly, looking up at her father about to strangle her playmate. "Kyle didn't, umm… He didn't do it."

"Yeah!" Kyle piped up. "_She_ kissed _me_!"

Ronon's menacing expression toward the young boy slowly softened. "Oh." He returned Kyle's feet to the floor in a less than gentle manner. "What'd you do that for?" he asked, squatting down so that he was on the same level as his daughter.

Terena answered with honest innocence, "Miss Kate did it and Misser Lorne liked it!"

"Well, _I_ thought it was icky!" Kyle announced from where he was clinging to his father's side.

Ronon and Michael shared a relieved glance when they realized that nothing of any real consequence had occurred. "You two knuckle-heads run along," Ronon said, standing back up. He playfully tousled his daughter's auburn hair. "And leave the boys alone, squirt."

Terena smiled. "Yes, Father."

XXXXXX

It was the third day after the incident that John got the confirmation that "yes, dammit!" Rodney would be fine. Carson had run several tests and proclaimed that Rodney was already starting to heal. He was still going to have to stay in the infirmary for another week so that Carson could administer strong painkillers, but the snarky astrophysicist was going to be just fine. A little grumpy maybe, but then, that was normal for Rodney.

"Please don't make me do this," Evie begged as John dragged her by her arm into the infirmary.

"You are _going_ to tell him if I have to beat a confession out of you," John insisted, pulling her toward the only bed that was currently occupied.

"Yes, _mother_," Evie grumbled as her husband lightly shoved her so that she was standing at the foot of Rodney's bed.

"Can I help you?" Rodney asked when Evie just stood there for a minute, looking nervous.

"Umm… I just came to see how you were doing?" she tried, but knew she wasn't convincing.

"She has something she'd like to tell you," John said and nudged, "Don't you, Evie?"

_'Wow, you **are** my mother,'_ Evie thought as she frowned at the man forcing her to apologize. She turned back to McKay. "I'm really sorry, Rodney," she said, then bit her lip.

Rodney cocked his head expectantly, an unspoken question of, "What for?"

"Tell him why," John prompted.

Evie shot him a glare; he was _not_ helping. "You got shot because I wasn't paying attention," she admitted, her cheeks growing warm.

Rodney frowned, but before he could say anything, Sheppard pressed on. "And tell him _why_ you weren't paying attention…"

"I was…looking elsewhere," she answered and prayed he would leave it at that.

"Be specific, Major." This time he received an 'I-will-slit-your-throat-while-you-sleep' glare for his insistence.

"I was…" Evie looked down. "I was looking at his butt, alright! You happy now, Colonel?" She glared furiously at John and continued to stare at him while she waited for the inevitable tongue-lashing from McKay.

But no brutal bashing came from Rodney. Worse, he was uncharacteristically silent.

Evie glanced back at him nervously. "Rodney?"

"I heard you," he said, his voice just above a whisper.

When he turned away from her to stare sadly at some other point across the room, Evie felt like he'd slashed her heart with Carson's scalpel. She closed her eyes tightly for a second, then left the infirmary at a pace just short of running so that neither man could see her tears.

XXXXXX

After hashing things out and providing a few more details for Rodney, John went looking for Evie. He finally found her in the rec room, playing against Michael on somebody's old Gamecube.

"Evie, why do suck so bad at Mario Kart?" Michael teased.

"Michael, why do you suck so bad at life?" she shot back, desperately trying to steer the vehicle on the screen.

"Oh, you cut me to the quick, _Toad_," he replied sarcastically. "Ha! I win," he announced gleefully as Yoshi and Luigi crossed the finish line in their colorful kart.

"We are _so_ doing this again," Evie decided, starting the race over on the same track.

"I'm still gonna beat you, Evie," Michael said as their karts took off. "Or should I let you win a round?" He grinned.

"I am _not_ that bad!" she insisted, even as her animated kart ground along the guardrail on the TV screen. "It's only because you keep throwing turtles at me--"

"They're turtle _shells_," Michael corrected, guiding his kart across the narrow bridge with ease, "not turtles; that would be inhumane."

"Whatever. And I have to play with Toad, 'cause you stole Yoshi. I win if I drive with Yoshi."

"So you keep telling me…"

Suddenly Evie gasped and laughed triumphantly. "I got the star! I'm invincible!" She hummed along with the "invincible" music for a few seconds, then cried, "No! Nonono! That's not fair! I was invincible!"

"Not if you drive off a cliff, you're not," John chuckled from behind her.

Evie frowned when she heard his voice. "Please go away," she requested nicely. "You're bringing down my happy moment."

"You ran off a cliff; how is that a happy moment?" Michael asked. Evie lightly kicked his foot. "You wanna play the next round, John?" Michael questioned as he started the second lap.

"No, I just came to check on Brooks," he said quietly. He didn't _think_ the Marine across the room was listening, but he wanted to be careful.

"Are you going to be mean John or nice John? Because lately you've been confusing the heck out of me." Her words weren't sarcastic or venomous; spending ten minutes with Michael had cheered her up considerably. She'd also realized that Rodney deserved to know what had happened, and she'd work on earning his forgiveness after his mood had mellowed.

John sat down next to her on the floor. "I'm sorry that I kind of…pushed things, but I knew you'd never tell him on your own," he said gently.

Evie nodded slowly, her eyes on the screen, but her mind paying attention to her husband. "I guess…"

"Evie?"

"What?"

"Will you look at me?"

"I might fall off another cliff…"

John reached over and hit the start/pause button on her controller. "Evie…" She looked up at him and, for the first time since Rodney had gotten shot, she didn't see enmity in his eyes. "I forgive you," he said softly and, judging by her expression, it was obvious that he had caught her off-guard.

"I should…" Michael didn't finish his thought, but quietly got up and walked over to the far side of the room, where he made sure to command the attention of the young SF reading a sporting magazine on the couch. "Dude, you like to go duck-hunting, too?!"

Evie smiled at Michael's attempt to draw notice away from her and John's little pow-wow. "So…just like that?" she asked.

"Well, you've been apologizing for three days and I decided to stop being a jerk about it," he answered, and she knew the hint of guilt on his face was the closest thing she was getting to an apology for his previous attitude.

"Well, that's… Thank you," she said, unsure of how she should proceed. They were both sitting Indian style on the floor -- not exactly the best position for a hug, which was what she wanted. She settled upon just a grateful smile for the present time.

After half a minute of semi-awkward silence, a thought struck Evie and she looked down. "So… Elizabeth has been bugging me for my report," she said as she began nervously twisting her hands in that way that John thought was so cute. "I told her I needed some time to get everything straight in my head, but she's not going to wait forever…"

"Why don't you just tell her the same thing I did in mine?" John suggested. "Write that we were on our way back to the Gate, keeping watch for the lizard, but it caught us by surprise anyway. The weapon went off, Rodney got shot; there was nothing any of us could have done."

Evie was glad that she wasn't currently making eye-contact with John; she hated that this was now the fourth time she'd cried or nearly cried in front of him within three days. She knew he wouldn't have written that she'd been ogling his rear, but he would have been perfectly within his rights to say that she had been distracted. "That…that would be good," she whispered. "Thank you." She was waiting for the tears in her eyes to go away when he spoke again.

"I'll cover your ass once, Evie," John admonished and she looked up. "Don't screw up again."

She nodded quickly and collected her thoughts for a minute more. Then she mumbled, "Sometimes I really wish you weren't you."

He looked confused. "Not me? What do--"

"Because now I want to kiss you," Evie replied quietly, "but I really don't think that SF is buying Michael's story about a five-point mallard."

John chuckled. "I suppose I can take an IOU on the kissing part," he said, his voice quiet.

"The kissing part?" Evie repeated.

"You know, 'kiss and make up,'" John explained. "I assume we've sufficiently made up?"

"I think so."

"Then I'll take a raincheck on the kissing and steal Michael's controller and kick your ass at this game instead," he teased, reaching for the device.

"You're on," Evie grinned.

When Michael heard the engines revving again, he looked up and watched with interest for a moment, then called, "Evie, look out for the tur--"

"_Hey_!"

"Never mind."

XXXXXX

It was nearly a week before Rodney would speak to Evie, and when he realized that she still felt terribly guilty and cringed every time she saw his scar, he decided that he was going to milk the situation for all it was worth.

It was nearly three weeks after the accident that Carson finally cleared Rodney for off-world duty. Eating breakfast with John, Ronon, and Evie an hour before Sheppard's team was to depart, Rodney noticed that he had drained his coffee cup. Holding it out to Evie, he asked, "Mind refilling this for me?"

Evie looked up from her waffle. "Get up off your lazy butt and get it yourself, McKay," she refused.

Rodney feigned a pained expression and gently rubbed the still-healing scar on his neck.

Evie felt her cheeks flush, then she snatched the cup out of his hand and quickly left the table.

"That's not right," John commented as he watched Evie go.

"But it's really nice," McKay grinned. "Yesterday, she made me a sandwich because the cooks were done for the night."

John frowned slightly. "Don't push her too far, Rodney," he warned.

"Why?"

"Because if she comes complaining to me and tells me to do something about it, I'll have to shoot you," John answered, his expression indicating that he wasn't kidding.

"I… It's only coffee; she'll be fine," Rodney said, pouting a little.

"If I was her, I'd dump it on your head," Ronon spoke up, only half-teasing.

Rodney gave the Satedan a stern look.

Ronon just shrugged.

XXXXXX

"…though our science has made significant advances, I'm afraid our medicine is several decades behind it, having remained almost unchanged for the last thirty years," Magistrate Ndena explained as she and Sheppard's team rematerialized in the Zelmoan hospital. Two seconds ago they had been in her office. Rodney was practically salivating at the thought of acquiring that sort of teleportation technology.

"While illness is quite uncommon on our planet, when it does strike, it is usually fatal," she said sadly.

"And half the time, we don't even know what we're dealing with," inserted a doctor who had approached Ndena. "Forgive me for interrupting," he said with a courteous nod to the Atlanteans, "but you should not be here. We don't know if the stranger who came through the ring a few hours ago is infectious or not."

Ndena nodded. "Have you been able to help him?" she asked, forgetting her guests for a moment.

"I've given him several drugs to try to lessen the pain, but I don't think they are working," the doctor answered. "And I haven't been able to stop his shaking either."

"Maybe we can help," John offered, knowing that if nothing else they could at least offer the suffering patient some morphine. "What are his symptoms?"

"He came through the ring about three hours ago," the doctor informed them. "He was weak and exhausted; he collapsed shortly after reaching the city. Since then he's had an elevated temperature, a cold sweat, and he hasn't stopped shaking since we got him into a bed. He's not coherent, but it's obvious he's in great pain."

Even though he knew he should probably dial home and request that Carson join them first, John pulled off his pack and said, "We've got some painkillers that might work." He retrieved the morphine from his gear and handed it to the doctor. Wanting to make sure that the young man administered it correctly, John followed him past the rows of beds to the curtained off station in the corner.

The doctor pulled the curtain aside to reveal the trembling patient. A layer of sweat covered his dark skin and his fuzzy black hair was drenched. If it wasn't for his damaged eye, John probably wouldn't have recognized him.

He swallowed hard. "Ford."


	36. It's My Heart, Not a YoYo

**Author's Note: **I am SO sorry, you guys. Seriously, it really bothers me when I don't update regularly, and I apologize again. I ran into a major brick wall with this chapter, and actually wrote about four other chapters before finally being able to finish this one. Since I left you guys with such a long wait, I'm going to go with my original plan of only posting chapters when I have a full "year" set done. The next set should be done much sooner, as I have it mostly all written. But since college has taken over my life, I make no promises. But again, I DO promise that I WILL finish this story. Right now I'm _hoping_ to have it done before Christmas. crosses fingers

* * *

**Twelve Years Old - 2018**

_"The clock ticks life away. It's so unreal. Didn't look out below. Watch the time go right out the window. Trying to hold on but didn't even know. I wasted it all just to watch you go. I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart. What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter. I had to fall to lose it all, but in the end it doesn't even matter." - Linkin Park, "In The End"_

"Atlantis, we're gonna need a doctor…"

When Elizabeth heard Ronon's urgent request, she immediately called Carson and a medical team. Then she hurried down the steps, worrying and wondering what kind of horrific trouble her frontline team had gotten themselves into this time.

She was surprised to see the entire team come through the Gate, seemingly fine. They were hurriedly pushing a gurney that she assumed belonged to the Zelmoans, but she couldn't see who it was they were trying to save. "John, what's going on?"

"Where the hell is Carson?" Sheppard demanded. He turned his head at the sounds of running footsteps.

"I'm here! Who's been injured?"

Carson's eyes fell on his latest patient at the same time as Elizabeth got close enough to recognize who it was. Their startled "Oh, my God"s were almost simultaneous.

"We've got to get him to the infirmary," Carson said, quickly moving to the edge of the gurney and placing a hand on the side of the shaking Ford's neck. "His pulse is erratic. What happened? Did you find him like this?" he asked quickly, grabbing John's sleeve and pulling him along as the medical team whisked the gurney down the hall.

"We were just checking out the planet like we were supposed to," John said anxiously. "And we found him in their hospital, shaking and sweating like that."

"He's probably in withdrawal," Carson said as they entered the infirmary. "Bronwyn!" he called to a nurse across the room. "Get me an injection of Nitrazepam, stat!"

The young nurse nodded and dashed off to the large medicine cabinet. She returned with the dose just as the medical team got Ford onto the bed. Carson tried his best to keep Ford from moving as he jabbed the needle into his shoulder. "It should stop the tremors," he explained to John, and sure enough, Ford's body slowly stopped shaking and his breathing returned to a normal rate. Carson took out his stethoscope and listened to Ford's heartbeat for a minute. Finally, he said, "He's returned to normal sinus rhythm."

"So, he's gonna be okay?" John asked.

Carson sighed as he stepped back. "I don't bloody know. Without the enzyme…" He trailed off, his brow suddenly furrowing in thought.

"Carson?" John prompted when the doctor was silent for a minute.

"Years ago we extracted some Wraith enzyme to run tests on it," Carson said thoughtfully. "We were experimenting and trying to synthesize it…"

"Did it work?"

"Well, we never had any way of testing it," he explained. "We synthesized an extremely close match, but there's no telling how his body will react."

"But if we don't do anything…"

"Aye. If I recall Teyla and Ronon's stories correctly, the young man in their cell didna survive the withdrawal."

"Carson, we can't let him go through that…"

"I don't intend to. I'll need to talk with Elizabeth, though. Emma, I want you to get him hooked up to a heart monitor and start an IV; we need to keep him hydrated. I also want him transferred to one of the private rooms. And it would probably be best to restrain him," dictated Carson. "Just in case," he added.

Emma nodded and had the two male nurses assist her in moving Ford back onto the gurney.

"Now, someone should keep a constant eye on him, so we'll know when he wakes up," Carson said to Sheppard.

"I'll do it," John said immediately.

Carson smiled and put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "I thought you would. I'll be back soon."

XXXXXX

After having a brief discussion with Elizabeth, and reaffirming Teyla's and Ronon's reports from years ago, Carson was allowed to administer the synthetic Wraith enzyme. Then, as the good doctor had another patient that needed his attention -- Michael and his broken ankle, to be exact -- Carson left Sheppard alone with Ford. John just sat there for over an hour, hoping beyond hope that they had been in time to save his former teammate.

"There you are, Uncle John," Aiden said as he wandered into the private room off the infirmary. "You were gonna take me to the shooting range today."

John looked up with a solemn expression. "Oh. Sorry… I forgot."

"It's okay. My mom said that you'd probably be in here. We just got done moving all my stuff to my new quarters," he announced proudly.

'_Good Lord, my secret love-child is twelve already? I feel old…'_ "Wow. That's one of those milestones, huh?"

The boy nodded and grinned.

"You gonna start shaving and chasing girls next?"

"It's on my list," Aiden joked.

John shook his head and was inwardly amused at how much Aiden reminded him of himself when he was that age.

Aiden seemed to notice the man in the bed for the first time. "So…he used to be part of your team?"

John nodded sadly as he looked back to Ford. "Close to fourteen years ago," he said quietly. "I'd always hoped he'd kicked the habit and made a life for himself on some planet somewhere."

"Kicked the habit?" Aiden knew very little about the details of Ford's history.

"A freak accident happened when a Wraith tried to feed on him, and he got addicted to their enzyme. He had a whole band of merry men hopped up on enzyme at one point. The last we saw him, he was on a Wraith hive ship." He paused. "He probably would have died on that planet if we hadn't found him when we did."

"So, he's gonna be alright?" Aiden asked, hopeful. He didn't like seeing Sheppard so depressed.

The boy's attempt at optimism didn't help though, as it only reminded John of Carson's prognosis. "Carson's got him on a light sedative and a synthetic enzyme. We just have to hope it works," he explained worriedly. "God, he didn't deserve this. He was just a kid." Another thoughtful pause. "He really loved it here. Every new little thing we discovered in Pegasus would make his smile light up like it was his birthday. Good Marine, too… Good friend…" He stopped when his voice wavered.

Aiden hesitantly reached a hand out, then placed it on John's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

John might have come undone right then if someone hadn't spoken up.

"You're gonna make me blush, sir," came a quiet, strained voice from the bed.

John smiled and immediately took Ford's hand in his own. "Ford, you are one resilient son of a--" He paused awkwardly when he remembered that Aiden was standing right next to him. "--gun," he finished with a sideways glance at the boy.

"Who's he?" Ford mumbled tiredly, obviously trying to shake off the sedative.

"I'm Aiden," he replied, taking a small step toward the bed.

Ford managed a smile small. "S'a good name."

"My mom said she named me after you," Aiden added.

"Who's y'mom?" He appeared to be trying to focus with his good eye.

"Evie Brooks," Aiden answered.

"No way. Who else has got kids?" He looked amused, though it was hard to tell because of the shadow of pain on his face.

"Aiden, would you go get Carson, please?" John asked, only just realizing that the doctor should be here.

Aiden nodded and quickly left the room.

When the sound of Aiden's footsteps had faded, Ford said, "So…you and Brooks?"

"What?" John tried to look confused.

"Come on, sir…"

'_Damn, is it that obvious?'_ "Is it that obvious?"

"Kid looks just like you, sir."

"You think so?"

"It's the ears, sir."

"You saying I have funny ears, Lieutenant?"

"No, sir. I'm saying you _both_ have funny ears." He smiled weakly.

"Oh, thank God," a very relieved Carson exclaimed as he and Nurse Emma rushed over. Emma began looking over Ford's vital signs and John stood up and stepped back so Carson could check on the man they'd all thought they'd never see again.

"Lieutenant," Carson said gently, even though "Marine" was the last adjective that came to mind when looking at Ford now. "Do you know where you are? Do you remember?"

"I'm in withdrawal, doc," Ford answered quietly. "I didn't fall and land on my head." He closed his eyes and exhaled tiredly, as though just talking exhausted him.

Carson smiled at Ford's response, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

Ford grimaced. "Not too good, doc…"

"I was afraid to administer painkillers while you were unconscious," Carson explained, noting that Ford was starting to sweat again.

"s'not that…" He licked his lips. "I've been in withdrawal before… But this is different. It's weird…"

Carson and Emma exchanged worried looks. "Well," Carson said, "Based on what Ronon and Teyla were able to remember about enzyme addiction, we knew you wouldn't survive a sudden and complete withdrawal." Ford's breathing was labored now. "So we gave you an experimental drug, hoping--"

Suddenly, Ford began convulsing, his heart monitor speeding up frantically.

"He's in v-fib!" Carson attempted to keep the lieutenant from spasming off the bed, while shouting for Emma to hand him a syringe of lidocaine. Just as he began to inject Ford's IV, the Marine flat-lined and his body fell still. Carson swore and began yanking Ford's shirt up. "Get the defibrillator!" he ordered.

Emma quickly handed him the paddles. Anticipating his next command, she prepared the machine, calling out, "Charging to two hundred."

Carson positioned the paddles over Ford's chest and called, "Clear!" before administering the shock. Ford's body twitched slightly at the jolt, but the tone of his heart monitor stayed constant. "Charge to three hundred!"

Emma complied. "Charged!"

"Clear!" Carson shocked him again, but still to no avail. "Come on, dammit! Clear!" When a third jolt still yielded no result, Carson sighed heavily and looked over at Emma, grief and anguish written on his face.

John, who had been watching with great anxiety, demanded, "Why did you stop?"

"Colonel…"

"Hit him again!"

"John, he's not--"

"We're not going to lose him again, dammit!" John shouted, and Carson could see the tears in his eyes.

"The synthesized enzyme didn't work! What more do you want me to do?!"

"Well, do _something_!"

"And bring him back just so he can die again as his body continues to reject the drug?"

John glared bitterly at the doctor, his bottom lip quivering slightly. After a moment, he picked up the closest object at hand and hurled it against the wall as he swore loudly. Then he stormed out of the infirmary, not caring that what he had just broken was probably expensive.

He passed several people as he attempted to reach his quarters and ignored their remarks of concern. When he ran into Evie, however, she stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"John, what happened?" she asked worriedly, though she feared she already knew.

He yanked his arm from her grip and snarled harshly at her to leave him alone. She closed her eyes sadly as he walked away from her, telling herself that his use of such colorful language was just an indication of how much he must be hurting. She decided to give him a little space and not go after him right away.

John reached his quarters a few minutes later, thankfully without encountering anyone else. When the doors closed, he slid to the floor and let the tears come.

Evie found him there, sobbing, an hour later.


	37. the one that focuses on Summer & Michael

**A/N:** Bethany, this one is all for you.

* * *

**Thirteen Years Old - 2019**

_"Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the future is unclear, I will be here. As sure as seasons are made for change, our lifetimes are made for years. So I will be here. I will be here and you can cry on my shoulder. When the mirror tells us we're older, I will hold you. And I will be here to watch you grow in beauty and tell you all the things you are to me. I will be here. I will be true to the promise I have made to you and to the One who gave you to me." - Steven Curtis Chapman, "I Will Be Here"_

"Well, Ronon took care of the 'sex talk' four years ago, but he still needed to be educated in the ways of males," Evie said with an amused expression. "And there was no way in heck that _I_ was going to tell him about it, so I kind of…bribed John to do it."

"Just out of curiosity," Summer interjected. "What _exactly_ do you mean by 'the ways of males'?"

Evie sighed. "Oh, you know… 'This is going to happen to you _down there_. Your voice will change. Girls will suddenly be attractive to you. You will grow whiskers…"

Summer laughed and took another bite of her delicious brownie. "What on earth did you have to promise John?"

"Well, I gave him a little speech about how he's always complaining about his lack of fatherly interaction with Aiden, and that this was a _very_ fatherly thing to do," Evie said, then shook her head with a giggle. "He didn't buy it. I finally told him I'd bake him a whole batch of double-fudge brownies." She held up what was left of her piece. "He was nice enough to donate two for our girl time."

"And the kitchen staff just let you waltz in there and use up their ingredients?" Summer inquired, sticking her pillow behind her back and getting comfortable on her bed.

"Mya did when I lent her my chick flicks," Evie answered with a proud smile, tossing her shoes over the side of the bed and crossing her legs beneath her.

"You sure know how to work the system, Evie."

She nodded. "But enough about me. What's up with you? You've been kind of down lately."

Summer sighed. "You know how we were off-world until late on Tuesday?" Evie nodded. "Well, it was the twenty-third."

Evie looked unsure for a moment, then her eyebrows went up. "Your anniversary! Michael didn't forget, did he?" she asked worriedly.

"No. He told me 'Happy Anniversary' that morning and gave me a really nice kiss, but we were too busy to celebrate," she answered with a frown.

"And you guys haven't done anything since you got back?"

Summer shook her head. "And I don't want to bring it up 'cause I don't wanna make him feel bad about it."

"Maybe he'll surprise you with something," Evie suggested, hopeful.

"Maybe… I just hope it's not jewelry. Honestly, do men really think that all we like and want is diamonds, chocolate, and shoes?"

Evie nodded knowingly. "Last year John got me a really nice necklace and I was like, 'Oh, yes, this will go _great_ with my uniform.'"

"You didn't _say_ that?!" Summer exclaimed.

"Of course not!" Evie laughed. "But I'm the kind of girl who couldn't care less if I own any expensive jewelry. Just get me something that looks pretty but won't turn my skin green, and then use the saved money to get me a book or a movie." She grinned.

"Yeah." Summer sucked the last traces of chocolate from her thumb. "So you and John actually celebrate?"

"Of _course_! We are married after all! It happened, I was there, this old man said, 'man and wife'!" Summer laughed at the quote and then Evie amended, "Actually, I think he said, 'I declare you one,' or something like that. My point is, our wedding was just as valid as yours and Michael's."

"Remind me… Why _did_ you two decide to do that?" Summer asked.

"I needed the vow of commitment," she answered without having to think about it. "You and I both had the same personal pledge to abstinence, and John respected that. Though, he would have been fine with just staying secretly engaged and promising to have an official ceremony when our ranks were no longer an issue." She slowly shook her head. "But I told him that wasn't what I wanted. So, we talked about it and decided, 'What the hey? Let's get hitched on some alien planet in a faraway galaxy; it'll be a great story to tell the grandkids.'

"We don't get any of the insurance or domestic benefits that you and Michael get, but I never feel guilty about having sex with him. Plus, every time John encounters an alien slut, I'm grateful that he's got Brigon's words of 'your one and only, forever unto death' ringing in his head." She grinned.

Summer smiled. "'Nother question."

"Shoot."

"You two are, like, Atlantis's worst kept secret… Why did you stop going on missions together?"

"Since last year when Rodney got shot 'cause I was paying attention to John. And thank you _very_ much for bringing that up again."

"I'm sorry," Summer apologized. "I didn't know that was the reason."

"Yeah. I'd say that we had a discussion, but John was just kind of like, 'This is how it's gonna be. Got it?'"

Summer nodded. She knew the colonel was firm when he'd made up his mind.

"How come you and Michael have never had that problem? I remember you two had a talk with Major Johnson once you got engaged, but I never heard anything more about it after that."

Summer smiled. "Well, you remember how Major Johnson was. Not only did he not want to mess up the team dynamics, but he was willing to give us a chance. He knew we wouldn't get to see each other nearly as much if we were on different off-world teams. Do you remember… Oh, it was _years_ ago… We were on some backwater planet. It was about a month before our wedding and a group of rebels had sort of, kind of gained control of the village. They wanted our weapons and, I _think_, our jumper and for one of us to shoot the chieftain. And for some reason they picked me.

"They handed me my weapon and ordered me to shoot him, saying they'd kill the rest of you, and then they pressed a knife to Michael's throat."

Evie nodded, her skin prickling in remembrance.

"He did a good job of staying calm, and he even shouted for me not to do it, just like any man would. But then when I _did_ refuse… I think it really shook him up. I mean, the cavalry came at the eleventh hour and nobody was hurt except the rebels, but he wouldn't talk to me for a few days. I don't think he actually expected me not to cooperate, not that he thought I would have shot an innocent man."

"Yeah…"

"We had a looong talk, though, and he was finally okay with it. And after watching that whole situation, Johnson never brought up the subject again."

Evie nodded. "You're a strong woman, Summer."

She rolled her eyes. "Pleeeease… And don't you dare put me on a pedestal."

"Yes, ma'am."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Summer said, "Evie, can I ask you a question?"

"No. Questions aren't allowed. Why would I wanna-- No."

Summer giggled and continued. "Okay, so I know we're both against the whole 'kiss and tell' thing, but…" She tried to think of a way to ask her question without sounding like a pervert. "Have you and John…" She shook her head and tried again. "Now that we're all getting a little older, do you guys still… I mean, you guys are still totally in love, right?"

Evie gave her friend a quizzical expression, wondering what Summer's curiosity was stemming from. "Yes," she answered, then added with a wink, "On most days."

"Well, do you… Wow, this is really awkward," Summer blushed.

"Just spit it out, Summer!"

She sighed and asked in a rush, "Do you guys still have sex like you used to?"

Evie laughed. "You weren't kidding about awkward," she said, then giggled again. "What do you mean? Like, is it as great as it's always been or--"

"Eww, no!" Summer made a face. "I don't wanna know _details_! I just… Over the last few years, things have slowed down for Michael and me, and I've been fine with that. But it's been over a month now, and I was just wondering if that was normal? I mean… I hope he isn't…losing interest in me or anything."

"Aww, Tigger," Evie cooed. "Michael still loves you more than anything in the whole universe."

Summer smiled. "Thanks…"

"And I guess the answer to your question would be that things have slowed down for us, too," she went on. "John and I can even go whole _days_ now without caving to our lust for each other." When Summer rolled her eyes, Evie said, "All kidding aside though, the answer is still the same. Heck, even when we were younger we didn't do it as much as you think. He may be a sex-addict at heart, but we spent lots of nights just talking, too."

"And now?" Summer prompted.

"What, you want a number? Two times a month, maybe? The rest of the time we play cards, or watch a movie, or talk, or he kicks my butt at old video games. He always loves to challenge me to a game of Halo," she explained with a laugh.

"Halo 7?"

She shook her head. "Halo 3. Old-school."

Summer laughed. "I bet it's not much of a challenge for him, playing against _you_," she teased.

"Shut up," Evie returned playfully.

"Do you blow yourself up?"

"Shut up!" Evie squealed. She grabbed a pillow and began beating her friend with it.

Summer laughed and grabbed the other pillow to block Evie's blows. "'Roo has committed suicide!'" she announced in an attempt to mimic the computer game announcer's voice.

"Hey! Sometimes it can be very handy to have a kamikaze kangaroo on your side!"

"Oh, yeah? Like when you want to blow up Australia?" Summer got in a lucky swing as she joked, and both women were giggling madly as Evie, knocked off-balance, fell off the bed.

XXXXXX

The next day around five, Evie kidnapped Summer and told her she had a surprise. Swiping open the door to her own quarters, Evie pushed her friend toward the bathroom and said, "Shower and blow dry your hair."

"And why am I not allowed to shower in my own quarters?" Summer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No questions!" Evie giggled, waving the sensor to shut Summer in the bathroom. She heard her friend sigh exasperatedly from the other side.

"Fine, fine…"

While her dear friend showered, Evie made sure that the evening's arrangements were all in place. When she heard Summer drying her hair, she retrieved the dress that had been selected by her accomplice. "Are you decent?" she called through the door.

"I think so," came the reply.

"Here, put this on," Evie said, opening the door and handing her friend a slinky dress.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Are we going to Earth for a girls' night out?" she asked with a smile.

"You'll see! Stop asking questions, woman!" Evie said with mock authority.

Summer came out a few minutes later, and Evie thought her friend was beauty defined. Her natural loveliness was enough, but the dress accentuated it. The garment was made of a slinky red material – some alien fabric that neither she nor the one who had bought it could pronounce. It had a two-inch strap over just the left shoulder, the neckline sloping modestly from the strap, going across the bust, and disappearing under her right arm. The material was form-fitting but not clingy, and made the most of every one of Summer's feminine curves. The hem of the dress just reached her ankles, and would be the perfect length once she slipped on the heels that Evie was holding in her hands.

"Are we going to a party?" Summer asked, sitting on the edge of Evie's bed and trying on the left shoe.

"Nope." Evie shook her head.

"Are we going to some sort of event that involves dancing?" She was securing the ties around her other foot now. "And why aren't you dressed up all fancy?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" Evie asked. "You'll find out soon enough," she promised again, and took Summer's hand, leading her back into the bathroom. She began brushing her friend's hair after instructing her to put on some light make-up.

They worked in silence for a few minutes, then when Evie readied the curling iron, Summer guessed, "Fancy restaurant?"

"Not quite," Evie answered, then hinted, "There will be food, though. No more talking."

"You can't really order me around, you know," Summer said, finished with her make-up. "I'm older than you _and_ I've been a Major longer."

"Yeah," Evie said with a grin, "but I'm the one with the hot curling iron."

XXXXXX

Feeling a little bit like a princess, having been pampered and primped by Evie for the last hour or so, Summer couldn't help but smile as her friend led her down the hall. Evie hadn't let her wear any sort of cover-up, and now that SF was staring. Summer blushed. She was about to mention to her friend the attention she was drawing when Evie stopped.

"Why are we stopping at my quarters?" Summer asked. "Did we forget something?"

"Not exactly," Evie answered with a grin as she waved the door open and gently pushed her friend inside.

Summer's mouth dropped open slightly when she saw what her companion had prepared. The table was set for two, complete with a tablecloth, crystal glasses, and candles. Looking around the rest of the room, she saw several more candles, and were those…rose petals on the bed?

She also saw her husband, who was smiling appreciatively and admiring how beautiful she looked in the dress he had picked out. Michael was wearing a shiny-new, button-up white shirt and spotless black dress pants. He wasn't quite as fancy as his wife, but the contrast made her look all the more beautiful -- not that Summer wasn't finding Michael's attire incredibly attractive.

Stepping toward his wife, Michael offered her a single, long-stemmed rose. "Happy Anniversary, Summer," he said sweetly. She smiled adoringly as she took the flower. "Now I know it's a little late, but Evie helped me make it nice, a-and I'm sorry that I didn—" He was cut off by a loving kiss.

When they didn't stop after just a few seconds, Evie spoke up, "I figured you guys would want dinner first, but if you'd rather just… I can come back later…"

Summer chuckled as she broke the kiss. "Dinner sounds nice," she said, following Michael's lead as he guided her to the table and then pulled out her chair for her.

After pouring their drinks, Evie announced, "Our specials tonight are spaghetti and meatballs or steak and potatoes."

Summer chuckled. "And is there a dessert option as well?"

"Of course, ma'am," Evie said. "Cheesecake or cheesecake."

Michael smiled at the semi-great lengths Evie had gone to in order to help him celebrate their anniversary. He had suggested a nice dinner; Evie had made it creatively wonderful. "Spaghetti and cheesecake sounds good. Don't you think so, dear?" Summer nodded.

After Evie placed the order via her comm, Summer asked, "So, are you the entertainment that comes with dinner?"

"If you want, I could get up on the table and sing 'La Vie Boheme'," Evie teased.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I think we'll manage," Michael assured her with a smile.

XXXXXX

To avoid intruding on the couple, Evie waited in the other room with a book until they needed her for something. After serving their cheesecake and refilling their glasses one last time, Evie said, "It has been a delight serving you two. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Summer caught her friend's wrist as she attempted to leave. "Thank you, Evie," she said with heartfelt gratitude. "This means a lot."

Michael nodded and added, "It was wonderful of you."

"You're quite welcome," Evie acknowledged with a smile. "You know I love you guys."

"We love you, too," Summer said as Evie opened the door to leave.

Gently squeezing his wife's hand atop the table, Michael murmured for what had to be the hundredth time, "You are so beautiful, Summer."

"You look pretty handsome yourself, babe," she blushed.

Glancing toward the bed, his mind no longer thinking about the rest of his cheesecake, he asked, "Summer… Why are there rose petals on the bed?"

She shrugged. "Because Evie put them there?"

"Why?"

"Maybe they make the sheets smell nice?"

Michael nodded and then stood up, taking her hand and gently pulling her to her feet. "Being married to you has been the best fourteen years of my life, Summer," he said, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Mine, too," she smiled, and then they kissed.


	38. Family Is Important

A/N: This one's all for you, Amelia.

**

* * *

**

**Thirteen Years Old - 2019**

_"On behalf of every man looking out for every girl: you are the god and the weight of her world. So, fathers, be good to your daughters. Daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers who turn into mothers. So, mothers, be good to your daughters, too." - John Mayer, "Daughters"_

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Catie?" Rodney asked, not really paying attention.

"Where do babies come from?" she asked.

Rodney barely managed to keep from spraying the coffee in his mouth all over his laptop screen. "What?!" he cried.

"We asked Aiden and he said babies came from sex," Dakota said.

"But he wouldn't tell us what sex _was_!"

"And when we asked Carson, he told us to go ask you because you knew."

"And _don't_ tell us babies come from storks, Dad," Caitlyn said, crossing her arms. "Because we _know_ that's not it."

Rodney's eyes were wide and no words would come out of his mouth. So he did what any smart man would do in this situation; "…_Mary_!"

Mary was asleep on the bed, but her husband's near-hysterical cry woke her up. "What?" she asked groggily.

He ran over to the bed and whispered, "They wanna know about _sex_!"

Mary blinked at him, still half-asleep. "So? They're old enough to know. Tell them."

"No!" he cried. At her raised eyebrow, he sighed. "Okay, Mary, here's the deal: _you_ tell them what they need to know, then I'll lock them both in chastity belts until they're a hundred."

Mary chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'll tell them. You just keep on doing…whatever it was you were doing."

"Thank you!" With that, he grabbed his laptop and made a hasty exit from the room.

After watching their father with amusement, the twins turned their attention to their mother, climbing onto the bed next to her.

"Well, girls," she said. "Your father told me you were asking some questions…"

The girls nodded. "Whatever sex is, it must be pretty terrible for Daddy to run off like that," Dakota mused.

Mary couldn't help but smile. "Not really," she began. "See, men and women are built differently…"

XXXXXX

A few days after educating her daughters about the birds and the bees, Mary returned from her shower to find her husband flipping through a magazine - a magazine with scantily clad women. "Rodney, that had better not be a Playboy," she warned, walking over to where he sat. She snatched the magazine from him and flipped it over, reading the title aloud, "'Sexcetera'?" She looked at him, appalled.

Rodney nodded. "It's a catalogue," he explained.

"Yes, I can see that," she said, throwing it back in his lap. "And just what are you doing with it?"

Rodney flipped a few pages past the middle and pointed to the items he'd been considering.

"Chastity belts?!" she cried, horrified. "Is this because I was flirting with Dr. Harmon while you were off-world last week?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Not for _you_, for the _girls_," he said, his tone adding an unspoken "duh."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, locking them in a tower is a bit too medieval," Rodney explained. "And I wasn't kidding when I said I'd lock them both up."

"Uh-huh."

"If only they'd been cojoined," he mused. His musing earned him a whack upside the head.

"Hey!" He frowned at her. "Well, do you want them going out and sleeping with boys? Getting diseases? Getting _pregnant_?!"

Mary shook her head. "Of course not," she answered. "But there are better ways to discourage sex."

Rodney sniffed, "A chastity belt is foolproof."

"Rodney?" Mary said patiently.

"What?"

"They're _ten_. And you should have seen the looks on their faces when I explained things to them. Trust me, they think it's disgusting and hopefully will continue to think so for several more years."

"Yes, but--"

"No." She took the magazine out of his hand. "Where did you even _get_ this?" Looking at the address printed on it, she saw that it was addressed to him, care of the SGC. She had to chuckle when she saw a hand-written note scrawled next to the Colorado zip code. "'_Sexcetera'… That's great, Rodney. Way to charm your lady. - Sam."_ "May I ask why you have a _subscription_ to this?" she asked, not happy.

"I don't," Rodney said, almost offended. "I asked for _one_ issue."

"Why?"

"Didn't we just have this conversation? I was looking at chastity belts for the girls."

"So you said," Mary frowned, crossing her arms.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rodney asked, getting a little defensive.

"Rodney, there are naked women in there!" she cried, hurling the catalogue to the floor.

Rodney's expression softened a little when he realized why his wife was upset. "Oh, please," he scoffed. "They're all unrealistic and airbrushed to perfection. I'd rather see _you_ naked…"

Mary blushed and had to smile. Rodney's compliments may not have been traditional, he always managed to make her feel beautiful and wanted. "Well, uhh…" She read his expression to see if he was serious. "That can be arranged…" she said softly with a coy smile.

Rodney's eyes lit up. "Really? But what about the gir--"

"They're in school." She pulled him to his feet. Then she gently removed his comm and tossed it aside as she murmured, "For _three_ more hours…"

Rodney grinned.

XXXXXX

Two hours later, after deciding to play hooky for the rest of the day, Rodney and Mary were snuggled up on one of the cushy couches in the rec room. While he had never really been fond of it before he got married, Rodney decided he quite liked cuddling now. At least when no one was around to tease him about it. And at the moment, everyone else in the city was working like they were supposed to be.

"See? Skipping out every once in a while is good for you," Mary teased as they watched an old science-fiction show they'd selected from the now-massive DVD library.

"I still can't believe _you're_ the one who suggested it," Rodney said.

"Oh, c'mon, you know I'm not as _always_ as straight-laced as I seem."

Rodney smiled, then exclaimed, "Oh! I remember this one now! It's the three-part arc with-- Oh, what was his name… Simm! John Simm as the Master! Oh, these are _good_…"

"Who's the Master?" Mary asked.

"How can you not know that?" Rodney gasped, shocked by her "ignorance".

"I didn't grow up on this stuff, Rodney," Mary said. "I watched stuff like 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and 'MASH'."

"Well, I didn't grow up with _this_ particular Doctor either, dear," he stated as if she should know this very important fact, "but I've at least _seen_ them."

"Well, then I thank you for educating me," she said and then added with a slightly dramatic note, "What would I ever do without you?" After a minute, she asked, "Who's she?"

"Oh, that's Martha," Rodney answered. "She's his companion. I don't like her as much as I liked Rose, but she's okay."

"Rose?"

"His old companion. The one I named Caitlyn after."

"Ah."

XXXXXX

"--because you _know_ what I'm gonna say…"

"If he tells the Master he loves him, I'm turning this off," Mary said in reference to the near-end of the third episode.

"Shh, this is the best part," Rodney shushed.

Suddenly, Mary's watch alarm went off. "Oh, crap," she said as she turned it off. "I forgot we were supposed to meet with Sharon today."

"But this is the best part!" he whined when she stood up and reached for the remote.

"And I promise we'll finish it later." She clicked off the TV. "C'mon, dear. This is important."

Rodney sighed and reluctantly stood up. "What does she need to talk to us about?" he called as he followed her out the door.

XXXXXX

"I need to talk to you about Dakota," Sharon Jones said when Rodney and Mary sat down in her classroom several minutes later. "I noticed that she wasn't doing as well in her studies as the other children her age. So I asked Mary for permission to test Dakota for a learning disability."

"You did?" Rodney asked, looking at his wife in confusion.

"I told you about this last week, but you obviously weren't paying attention," Mary said with a sigh.

"So, you're saying that my daughter is stupid?" Rodney asked defensively, turning back to Sharon.

"Of course not, Rodney," Sharon answered. "Dakota is very smart. Learning disabilities have nothing to do with intelligence. Now, I'm no specialist, but I'm fairly certain she's dyslexic."

Mary looked crestfallen. "She has trouble reading?"

"And an impossible time with spelling," Sharon added. "Each case is unique, but Dakota's eyes simply switch the positions of the letters around. Anything that is read aloud or discussed, she understands perfectly. The main things she struggles with are her English, history, and science homework."

"Are there any drugs for it?" Rodney asked, still feeling a little bit of disbelief. "Like Ritalin or something?"

"Ritalin is generally prescribed for Attention Deficit Disorder, Rodney. Unfortunately, dyslexia isn't the sort of thing that can be treated with medication."

"Of course…" he sighed.

Sharon ignored his attitude and handed him a few sheets of paper. "The first two explain the disorder, and the third one has suggestions for ways to help her try to correct it."

"Like what? Reading her textbook assignments to her?" Mary asked, looking over at the papers.

"If she's tired of reading and asks you to, I'm sure it would very helpful if you would. She's told me that reading for long periods of time gives her a headache."

"What is this about colored transparencies?" Rodney asked, perusing the suggestions.

"Some dyslexics have an easier time reading if they place a certain color over the words. Pink and yellow seem to be the most common ones. Just talk with her about it. Try different things and stick with what works for her."

"Thank you, Sharon," Mary smiled.

XXXXXX

"All done!" Caitlyn announced, closing her book with a smile. She tucked her sheet of homework into her folder and then said, "We're supposed to have a Twister competition in the rec room, Daddy. Can I go?"

"If you're done with your homework," Rodney answered, not looking up from his very-late mission report.

"Thanks, Daddy!" she said as she dashed out the door.

The girls always did their homework after dinner and weren't allowed to play with the other kids until they were finished; Caitlyn was always done first.

Dakota frowned as she watched her sister go. When the doors whooshed shut behind Caitlyn, Dakota made an exasperated noise. "It's not fair!" she exclaimed. "I _never_ get done in time to play after dinner!"

When Rodney didn't reply to his upset daughter, Mary elbowed him. He frowned at his wife, then said, "What's the matter, Koda?"

"Catie's smarter than me, that's what," Dakota pouted.

"Just because you have a harder time of it doesn't make you less smart," Rodney said. "What are you working on?" he asked after a moment.

"History," she said in an annoyed tone. "And my eyes hurt and I really don't care about Ponce de Leon."

Rodney smiled. "History was never my favorite subject either." He paused thoughtfully, then set his report aside. "You want me to help you with it?"

Dakota's eyes lit up. "That'd be great, Daddy."

Rodney pulled a chair over and sat down next to her. "Alright, what have we got here…" he murmured, skimming the page she was reading. "Highlights… Born on July 15, 1458, he is the supposed discoverer of Florida…"

"And he claimed it for Spain," she added.

"And he got a town named after him." Dakota smiled up at her father as he began reading to her. "Juan Ponce de Leon was born in Santervás de Campos…"


	39. Better to Have Loved and Lost

**A/N:** Well, y'all, I think I just needed a break from writing, 'cause I'm so back in the zone now after that two-month hiatus. :-D But, Christmas? ...Yeah, that's a little unrealistic 'cause of college an' stuff. I'll have it done before Spring Break though, definitely. And, y'all, let's have a big round of applause for ze beta, Commodore Norrington; 'cause she's been working her butt off. :-D And, Tigger, thanks for brainstorming this with me. :-D

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* * *

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**Thirteen Years Old - 2019**

_"I'm watching you from a scenic view, taking in your every move, who you tried so hard to be, full of wishes and dreams that did not come true for you. I can read you like a book, sad stories everywhere I look. Faded pictures remind you when what could have been did not come true for you, did not come true for you. I'll be the one who makes you laugh, make up for the memories that made you sad. Me and you together, forever we could be." - Stellar Kart, "Wishes and Dreams"_

John knocked on the door to Evie's quarters. When he didn't get a response, he decided he would leave the package on her table; she was probably already at dinner. Stepping inside her quarters, he saw her snuggled up in her bed with one bare foot poking out from underneath the covers, as was her habit. Setting the small box on her bedside table, he sat down on the edge of the bed and just watched her for a minute. He gently ran his hand through her brown hair, admiring how lovely she looked with it let down; she was required to have it tucked away in a bun when she was working.

Looking at his watch a moment later, he thought it would probably be in her best interest to wake up. He gently rubbed her back -- shaking her awake would have promised a cranky response -- and smiled when she moaned, "I 's dreaming…"

"Well, you were going to dream right through dinner, sweetheart," he replied.

"Time is it?" she mumbled, rolling over, blinking away her lingering sleepiness.

"Past six," he answered. "I was going to deliver your package and invite you to dinner."

"Package?" She sat up now. "From who?"

"Ma and Pa back on the farm," he said with a bad attempt at an over-exaggerated Texas accent as he handed her the box.

"You're such a dork," she said, rolling her eyes as she took it from him.

"So what was the big deal at breakfast this morning?" he asked in reference to a loud outburst he had witnessed from across the mess hall earlier that day.

"Oh." Evie stopped unwrapping the packed and looked up at him. "Summer found my first gray hair and then proceeded to rip it from my head."

"Hey, I don't want to hear any complaining about going gray," he said, gesturing to his own head.

"Yeah, but it doesn't look so bad on a guy," she commented.

"Well, maybe _this_ guy feels different," he pouted. "I mean, Carson's modified Valopin drug can stall the physically detrimental aspects of aging," he sing-songed in a bad Scottish brogue, "but it can't prevent gray hairs?"

"If it bothers you that much, you could always dye it," she sighed.

"I could…" He appearing to be pondering this option.

"But I think it's kind of sexy," she said with a flirty smile.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I've always had a thing for older men," she teased.

"So now you're saying I'm an old man?" he asked, mockingly hurt.

Evie smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm saying that it makes you look distinguished. And maybe it turns me on a little," she added, reaching a hand up to brush her fingers against his temple where a patch of silver hairs stood out from the dark.

"Really now?" He grinned. "So if I go completely gray and get fat and wrinkly, you'll just be all over me?"

Evie laughed. "One, I'll make sure you work out enough to never get fat; and two, Valopin _does_ prevent wrinkles."

"So you really don't mind it?"

She shook her head again. "But if it falls out, then we might have a problem."

"Why?"

"Because then you'll look like Colonel Caldwell!" she giggled.

"Would you open that before I hurt you?" he asked, annoyed by her last comment.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," she said sarcastically. "And just what would you do to me, John?"

"You know exactly what I'll do," he answered with just an edge of lust in his voice.

Evie started to open the package, but then looked back up at him. "Can we do that anyways?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

"If you promise to never compare me to Caldwell ever again."

"Yes, sir." She finished stripping the brown paper off the box and then sliced open the tape with the Swiss army knife. There was a short note lying on top of a book nestled inside the small cardboard box.

"'Dear Evie,'" she read aloud. "'As we were boxing everything up for the move, we found this in your room and thought you'd get a kick out of it. We hope you and your crazy-haired husband--'" They both laughed here, "'--are doing well. Say hello to Aiden for us. We love you! Hugs and kisses, Mom and Dad.'"

"They're moving?" John asked as she slowly pulled the pink book out of the box.

"My dad finally retired, and they've always wanted to live in the mountains in Colorado," she explained. "They sent me a letter about a month ago telling me about it. Oh, my gosh… This is my old diary," she said with a fond sigh.

"You had a diary?"

"Well, I didn't write much in it, but if something was _really_ important to me, I filled up a few pages." She inserted the tiny key in the tiny lock and opened the thin journal.

"So what's something that would merit an entry?" he asked curiously as she flipped through the pink pages.

She smiled and stopped at a passage that dated back many years. "Our camping trip! Oh, this was always the highlight of my summers…" She began reading the entry.

"'Well, Diary, I'm finally done with my junior year of college. And that means it's time for the annual camping trip with the family. Me and David decided that the river looked mighty inviting, so we--'"

"'_Mighty inviting_?'" John repeated with an amused tone. "People actually say that?"

"I'm from Texas, what do you want from me?" she defended dramatically. "I also occasionally say 'fixin' to'. You gonna make fun of that, too?"

"No…as long as Aiden doesn't pick it up," he answered. "I can't have my son sounding like a hick…"

"You remember how we _were_ going to fool around after this?" she warned.

"But, y'know, on the other hand, colloquial phrases can be so quaint!" he said, backpedaling quickly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she said, trying not to smile. "Anyways… 'So we took a swim. I wanted to go further downstream where the water was deeper, but David wanted to stay on sunny 'Mermaid Rock'(I'm naming it that because it looks like the rock the mermaids sunbathed on in Peter Pan). Well, turns out David was the smart one, as usual. I got swept downstream and over the rapids and I almost drowned. It was freaking awesome!'" John and Evie both chuckled at young Evie's carefree attitude.

"'Then, since I'd cut my foot on one of the rocks, he carried me all the way back up the hill. He's such a good brother. I really love him. Well…most of the time. I'll love him so long as he remembers that a rinse in the river every day is _required_. I mean, we have to share a tent!

"'Ugh. Speaking of which, turns out it got pretty cold that first night. The next morning a bright flash of light woke me up and I saw my dad standing at the entrance of our tent with the camera in his hand and a grin on his face. That's when I noticed that I was snuggled up to David as close as I could get and I was holding him like he was Cuddles (who _knows_ where she went to…). I tried to push him back, but the dork had his ginormous legs on top of me and was still asleep. The picture turned out cute, though. I taped it to the next page.'"

Evie turned the small, pink page and smiled at the faded photograph. They were both snuggled deep under the blankets, Evie's head resting against David's chest and her arms tightly around him. The shape of David's long legs resting atop Evie's was visible under the covers.

John looked at the picture for a moment, then asked, "How is he a blond?"

Evie shrugged. "I dunno," she answered, turning back to the previous page. "But he was. My little blond-haired, blue-eyed boy." Then she resumed reading, but not aloud this time. "Wow, this brings back so many memories," she said as she skimmed the pages. Suddenly she laughed. "You gotta hear this part. 'Well, my dumb-butt brother decided to scare the crap of me last night. He hid behind the big tree right by our tent and when I came back from getting pajamas on, he jumped out and growled at me. Daddy had said that there might be bears, so of course it worked. I jumped and screamed and David just laughed his head off.'"

"I'm guessing he didn't get away with that?" John asked.

"Oh, heck no. Next morning he was greeted by the sight of his boxers, swim trunks, and socks hanging in a tall tree," Evie proudly recalled.

"You mean really tall or just tall to you?" he teased.

"Shut up! It was tall, okay?"

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

"Anyways, I just played innocent and asked him how he was planning to get them down."

"I imagine he exacted revenge for your atrocity?" John asked, wondering who had finally won in the end.

"Oh, yeah," Evie said with a nod. "He'd even signed something about getting me back, but I didn't believe him. But that wasn't even the worst part," she chuckled…

_David waited until afternoon, when Evie lay down in their tent for a short nap. Then he executed his plan of revenge. Using twisty-ties from the bread they had brought, he tied the zippers of the tent flap together. Then he grabbed the two tent poles on the front end of the tent and disconnected them, causing the whole tent to collapse. As he watched the material slowly flatten over her body, he tried to stifle his laughter. He could only imagine what she might be saying as he watched her shift under the canvas. _

_Evie struggled to sit up, trying to shove the material out of her way. She managed to find the tent flap and tried to get it open. The zipper wouldn't budge. "What the heck did you do?!" She jerked the zipper in vain. Finally, in frustration she called out, "Momma! Momma, tell him he wins and let me out!" "Momma!" she called out again. "Seriously, let me out of here!" Thankfully, she heard her mother's voice a few seconds later. _

_"Evie? David, what did you do?" JoAnna asked, signing as she spoke. _

_"She start it," David signed back quickly, trying to look innocent. _

_JoAnna sighed and then told him, "Let your sister out." _

_David nodded and stepped forward to release the zipper. "Truce, Evie?" he managed to ask her. _

_Evie smiled; she loved it when he talked aloud. Granted, sometimes he was hard to understand, but the effort he put into it always made her smile. "Yes, David. Momma, tell him I said it's a truce." _

_JoAnna made a motion like she was knocking on a door with her fist, signing "yes." _

_David nodded and freed the zipper, then began putting the tent poles back into place. _

_Evie emerged from the tent, looking none too happy. "Haha, very funny," she said, making sure that he could see her lips. _

_David just grinned…_

John and Evie both chuckled as she finished her story. "I think I would have really liked your brother," John commented, then wished he hadn't when she dropped her gaze to her lap. "Hey…" He reached over and gently squeezed her hand.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. She chuckled after a moment. "It's only fair that you tell a family story now," she suggested.

John smiled and leaned back on the bed. "Damn, there are so many good ones… You're gonna have to be more specific."

Evie thought for a minute. "Hmm…" She giggled. "How about a time when your parents really embarrassed you in front of your friends?"

"Still gonna have to be more specific," he grinned.

"Ooh. A time when they embarrassed you in front of your _girlfriend_."

John thought hard for a minute, then nodded. "Ashley Cortez… She was my first girlfriend. We were both twelve. Now before I tell this, you have to understand what my mom was like. You remember Kitty Forman from 'That 70's Show'?"

Evie nodded.

"My mom was a lot like that; sweet as can be, but a little crazy at times." He smiled in remembrance…

"_Hey, Ashley," John said as he opened the door and let his pretty little girlfriend in. _

_"Hi, John." She gave him a bashful smile as they walked into the living room. _

_"Mom, me and Ashley are going to the movies. Can I have my allowance? I'm gonna pay for her ticket, too," he announced proudly. _

_"Oh, isn't that adorable?" Christine cooed. "My little boy's going on his first date. Oh, oh! Wait just a minute." She got the family camera off the shelf and hurried into the living room. "Smile, kids!" she said, snapping a picture before either of them could protest. _

_"Mom," John groaned. "Can you please not make a big deal out of this?" _

_"Oh, honey, it's your first girlfriend and I'm your mother; I'm allowed to make a big deal out of it." _

_John rolled his eyes and Ashley blushed. _

_"Here's your money, John," Matt said, handing his son five dollars. _

_"Oh, honey! I have the best idea!" Christine said excitedly. "Your father and I can go with you two! We'll make it a double-date." _

_Catching on that his wife was teasing, Matt playfully nudged his son's shoulder. "How about it, John?" _

_"No!" John blurted, then respectfully tried again, "I mean, no, ma'am. I mean… Come on, this is our first date!" _

_Christine laughed. "I'm sorry, John. I just couldn't resist teasing you. Your father and I won't ruin your date, I promise." _

_"Thank you," John said, pocketing the money and nudging Ashley towards the front door. _

_"Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard!" Ashley said as they entered the front hall. _

_"Have fun, kids," Matt said, then went to find the family dog. _

_"Oh! John!" Christine called. "Honey, did you remember to put on clean underwear?" _

_"Mom!" John practically squealed. _

_"Well, I know that sometimes you forget, honey," she said, trying to sound innocently concerned. _

_"Yes! Okay?" He yanked open the front door and practically shoved Ashley through it. _

_"Go get John," Matt whispered to their mutt, Whatever, and then pushed the dog forward. _

_Whatever ran over and started jumping on John as the boy was trying to get through the door. "Go away, you stupid dog!" he muttered, shoving the dog away and dashing out the door, almost slamming it behind him. _

_XXXXXX_

_After they put her bike away in the garage, John walked Ashley up to her front door. He got a nervous feeling the closer they got, but he was excited, too. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. The goodnight kiss. He'd kissed Millie Warner in the first grade, but that didn't really count. And she'd slapped his face, anyways. This was going to be his first **real** kiss. _

_"I really liked the movie, John," Ashley said softly as they reached her doorstep. "Thank you for taking me." _

_"You're welcome," he answered. _

_She tugged on her bracelet. "I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." _

_"Yeah…" His gaze lowered from her eyes to her lips. _

_"So…" _

_John smiled nervously, then leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He pulled away a second later. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Ashley was beaming. "Goodnight, John," she said sweetly, turning to open her door. _

_"Goodnight, Ashley," he grinned. He waited to make sure that she got inside and then turned to go back to his house. He didn't have far to go; they were next-door neighbors. On his way down the sidewalk to retrieve his bicycle, he saw two silhouettes on his driveway that appeared to be trying to sneak away. "Mom and Dad!" he cried. "What are you doing?!" _

_"Well, honey, it was your **first kiss**!" Christine called in explanation. "I tried to take a picture, but the camera stopped working." _

_John groaned and picked up his bike, deciding that the next girl he dated was going to live on the other side of town…_

Evie had to wipe tears from her eyes, she was laughing so hard by the time John got done with his story. "Sounds like good times," she said when her giggles had subsided enough that she could talk.

"In retrospect, yeah," he smiled. "But I was pretty pissed at the time." His smile slowly faded. "I still miss 'em sometimes…"

Evie looked down, and her gaze fell upon the picture of her and her brother. She still missed him sometimes, too.

"I guess we should go to dinner," he said after a pause.

She looked up and nodded. Then she leaned over and brushed her lips against his in a slow, relaxed kiss. A little surprised, it took John a second before he brought a hand up to touch her face.

"What brought that on?" he asked a minute later.

"Nothing," she said. "I just…" She gave him an adoring smile that made him want to kiss her again. "I'm really glad I've got you."


	40. All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

**A/N:** To anybody suffering through finals...my heart is with you. Stay strong! The semester is almost over. (a.k.a. I've been busy with school and that's why I haven't been posting much.) BUT I have the next chapter that goes with this one, so there should only be like 2 or 3 days inbetween it and this one. :-D

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**Fourteen Years Old - November 2020**

_"So now we're far away, holding on to miles that separate. Still waiting for the day to say, 'It's not too late, it's not too late.' I only wanted you to have more than I could ever dream of. I only wanted you to know everything I know and then some. I only wanted you to be more than I could ever become. I only wanted, I only wanted you." - Stellar Kart, "Only Wanted" _

Evie looked up from her lunch with John and Summer when she heard her son's approaching laughter. "Guess what, Mom?" he asked with an amused grin.

"You aced that physics test you were worried about?" she guessed, hopeful.

He grinned again. "Nope." He handed her the quiz in question. "I got a 57." When he saw his mother's horrified expression, he chuckled. "Chill out. Ms. Jones said that she'll let me retake it."

"Then I highly suggest you study," Evie advised. "Because you know you're grounded for anything that's a C or below."

"But, Mom!"

"Do well on the re-test and I'll un-ground you. You know that's the rule," Evie said firmly. It was actually a rule that John had come up with, but Aiden didn't know that.

Aiden sighed in annoyance and was about to walk off when Summer spoke up. "Hey, Aiden, do you know what Aaron made?"

"The loser got a high B," Aiden answered. "You should have seen his face when Ms. Jones handed back the tests."

Summer smiled, relieved. "Good. You know, Aiden, Michael helped Aaron study for that test every night for a week. Maybe you should get someone to help you."

"Colonel Sheppard's pretty smart," Evie chimed in. "Maybe if you ask nicely he could help you."

John smiled, trying his best not to appear over-eager. "Sure. We could work on it after dinner, if you want."

"Thanks, Uncle John, but I think I'll ask Rodney. Physics is kind of his thing." He looked up when he heard Aaron calling his name from across the mess hall. "I gotta go," he said, and then left.

Evie and Summer exchanged worried looks as John looked down at his lap, dejectedly quiet.

"Hey," Evie said gently as she reached for his hand under the table. "I can make him do it with you, if you want."

"God, you make it sound like some kind of punishment," he said, abruptly standing up and leaving the mess hall.

XXXXXX

"The first law of thermodynamics?" Aiden guessed wearily.

"No." Rodney sighed exasperatedly. "Look, it's _right there_! Did you even read this like I told you to?"

"Yes, Uncle Rodney," he managed through clenched teeth.

"Well, I don't know how you missed it," Rodney said, pointing out the answer in the text.

"You know, being a jerk isn't going to help me learn," Aiden snapped, finally reaching his breaking point. "Have you ever considered _explaining_ this to me if I don't get it?"

"How can you not get it? It's right there in black and white!"

"I'm not in my late forties with 5 PhD's!" he exclaimed. "I'm _fourteen_! Can't you explain it to me like I'm Dakota or something?"

Rodney sighed again. "You want me to draw pictures?"

"Well, I'm not getting it _this_ way. Just, like, a diagram or something might help."

Yet another sigh. "Alright, alright…" Rodney grabbed a pen and began drawing on Aiden's notebook paper. "Now _this_ represents the system…"

XXXXXX

"Nonono. You're supposed to express the thermodynamic potential."

"I thought I was!"

"No, you're getting ahead of yourself and worrying about the conditions for equilibrium," Rodney explained.

Aiden rubbed a hand over his face. "I think we should take a break."

"Your re-test is in three days; we don't have time for a break."

"I brought cookies…" Aiden enticed.

"I suppose we could break for just a _few_ minutes…"

XXXXXX

"Alright," Rodney said when he had finished his drawings. "What kind of system is the first one?"

"An open system," Aiden answered immediately.

"Good. And the second one?"

Aiden chewed his lip for a minute.

"A closed system?"

"No."

"Oh! An _isolated_ system."

"Yes!" Rodney beamed. "You just might pass this."

Aiden grinned.

XXXXXX

"Your test is tomorrow and you are not going to dinner until you can recite the rest of these definitions backwards," Rodney insisted. "Entropy."

"A measure of the unavailability of a system's energy to do work," Aiden recited.

"And what is work?"

"The amount of energy transferred by a force."

"Good. Now look at these systems and tell me what kind they are," Rodney ordered, pointing to the dry-erase board.

"Isolated, Adiabatic, and Diathermic."

"The first one's right, but you always confuse Adiabatic and Diathermic. Let's go over them again."

Aiden dropped his head onto the desk. "Ugh… Do we _have_ to?"

"Aiden, you're going to pass this test tomorrow if it kills you. Now pay attention."

XXXXXX

After retaking his physics test, Aiden joined John and Rodney at their table for lunch. He eyed John curiously as the pilot downed a small blue pill.

"Is that your 'miracle pill for the middle-aged man'?" Aiden asked, making quotes with his fingers.

"Yes, do tell us about your little blue pill," Rodney smirked around a mouthful of sandwich.

John rolled his eyes. "This is just Valopin, not Viagra; I don't take drugs for _that_ kind of problem."

"So he says," Rodney teased.

John turned to frown at McKay. "Are you being an ass to everyone today or am I just special?"

Rodney shrugged and ate a potato chip.

"What's it for then?" Aiden asked, still curious.

"Carson was able to modify a drug that the Valarins shared with us. It takes care of most of the bad things that come with aging. Wrinkles, arthritis, gradual loss of sight and hearing…"

"Menopause," Rodney added.

"Yes, Rodney, because I've been having so much trouble with that stage in my life," John said, dripping sarcasm.

"So why is your hair still going a little bit gray?" Aiden asked, deciding not to ask what menopause was.

"See? I told her I should have dyed it…" John complained to no one in particular. "Apparently that's not something the Valarins go through, so the drug can't treat it."

"Oh." Aiden nodded and stabbed several macaroni noodles with his fork. He looked up when he heard someone calling his name.

"Aiden!" Sharon was walking across the mess hall, waving a piece of paper at him.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked when she reached their table.

"Since I knew you were really worried about how you did on your test, I thought I'd grade it before I ate." She handed him the test and smiled. "I'm really proud of you, Aiden. Good work."

As she left the table, Aiden turned the test over and grinned widely at the passing grade that was announced in red ink.

"A 78!" he exclaimed, turning and showing the paper to Rodney. He was so excited by his improvement that he pulled Rodney into a bear hug. "No way could I have brought this up without you, Uncle Rodney!"

Caught off guard, and feeling John's jealous stare, Rodney awkwardly patted Aiden's shoulder. "Yes, well… I'm glad to help."

Not caring that he was acting like a pouting five-year-old, John picked up his tray and started to leave the table.

"Where are you going?" Rodney called.

"To wash my hair!" John snapped, not looking back.

Rodney sighed. He hoped John wasn't terribly mad. After all, Aiden had hugged _him_, not the other way around. Or maybe that was the problem.

"Is he okay?" Aiden asked, setting the test down and picking up his taco.

"Oh, he's just PMSing," Rodney answered dismissively.

Aiden looked confused and was about to ask what that was, when Rodney amended, "He's just tired."

"Oh." Aiden's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw John's uneaten brownie sitting on the table. "Score, he left his brownie!" he cheered as he took the forgotten desert and set it next to his own.

Rodney sighed. At least Aiden was blissfully oblivious.

XXXXXX

When Evie heard the door to her quarters opening, she called sarcastically, "Thanks for knocking! I could have been naked, you know…"

"The husband isn't required to knock," John said as he entered further, not in the mood to make a comment about how he wouldn't have minded her being naked.

When she heard his voice, Evie smiled and paused her computer game. "What can I do for you then, husband?" she asked cheerfully.

He didn't answer, but sat down on her bed, dropping his head to his hands with a heavy sigh.

"John, what's wrong?" she asked, moving to sit next to him. "Baby?" She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Evie… I can't do this anymore…"

"Can't do what anymore? Us?" An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. "John?"

He slowly looked at her. "It's Aiden… I can't…" He didn't even know how to phrase it. "I want to be his _father_, Evie… I'm sick and tired of being his…friendly neighborhood Uncle John."

Evie nodded slowly. They'd been here before. "John… You know I make an effort to have you as a major part of his life--"

"But there's a limit. And he still just thinks of me as the friendly pilot who hangs out with him on occasion because I don't have any children of my own."

She sighed. "One day, we'll be able to tell him," she assured.

"'One day,'" he scoffed. "When? When he's eighteen? When he's twenty-one? When he's married with kids of his own?"

"Better late than never?" she tried, not really believing it would help.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked bitterly. "It's not like you know how this feels. "You _have_ a relationship with him!"

"Yes," Evie raised her eyebrows. "And you don't?"

"Yeah, as shooting range instructor and occasional disciplinarian. We've got a _great_ father/son thing going on…" He rolled his eyes.

Evie paused as she thought for a moment. "What do you feel you're missing out on?" she asked gently.

John made a wide gesture with his arms, emphasizing that he felt he was missing a lot. "I can't claim him as mine, I can't take him places without asking permission, I can't even tell _my son _I love him without sounding like a pedophile!"

Evie couldn't stop a snicker at the way he phrased his last comment, but she tried to disguise it as a cough.

"It's not funny!" he cried.

"I know, John, I'm sorry…" She tried to give him a hug as an apology, but he pushed her back.

"Now I can't even hug you? John, what happened?"

John really didn't want to tell Evie about what had set off his pouting-tirade, so he muttered, "Nothing…"

"John, c'mon… What brought this up all of a sudden?"

He still didn't answer, and she just looked at him expectantly. After a minute of the staring contest, he finally sighed and mumbled, "Aiden got his test back and hugged Rodney…"

Evie sighed. "Dork, that was 'cause Rodney helped him with his homework, not 'cause he thinks Rodney's his dad. If you had a chance to help him with something, maybe he'd hug you, too!"

"Hey, I _offered_!" he reminded. "And he said that he wanted to work with McKay because he's smarter than me."

"He did not. He said that physics was Rodney's strong point. Why don't you try helping him with something other that homework?" she suggested. "Something that _you're_ strong in."

John sighed somewhat defeatedly as he pondered the wisdom in her words. "I guess…" he finally said. There was a moment's pause, then he said, "I'm hungry."

"I thought you were just at lunch?" she asked.

"I was…"

Realization dawned on Evie and she tried not to smile. "John… Did you leave in the middle of lunch because you were having a pouty fit?"

"It wasn't a pouty fit!" he objected, then chuckled at how silly the phrase sounded. "So do you want to eat lunch with me or not?"

"That would be nice, John," she smiled.


	41. Making the Connection

**Fourteen Years Old - November 2020**

_"'Cause you learn to throw a baseball, how to sail a fishing line, and you learn about forgiveness. 'Cause you just can't waste the time. And the circle goes unbroken, but there's so much left undone. That's just how it is between a father and a son." - Jace Everett, "Between a Father and Son" _

"Looks to me like you mean more to him than just 'the friendly pilot,'" Evie addressed her husband, striding over to John's lonely dinner table two days after his almost-breakdown.

"What?"

"I thought you'd wanna see this," Evie said, holding a piece of notebook paper out to her husband. "Aiden's strength definitely isn't writing, but… They were told to write an essay about someone they admire or look up to. He wrote about you."

John looked a little stunned as he took the paper. "He did?"

Evie nodded. "But don't let on that I let you read it. He barely let _me_ read it."

John acknowledged her with a nearly imperceptible nod, his eyes already scanning the words of adoration.

'_I know a few of the kids are writing about their dads. Well since I don't exactly have one, I thought I'd write about someone else whose been a big part of my life: Colonel Sheppard. Uncle John, which is what he lets me call him, has been there for me since I was really little, and I've always looked up to him. He's a great pilot and he's really smart too. He'd do anything for his team, and probably anybody else here in Atlantis. Except maybe for Louie. _

_'He's saved the city dozens of times, sometimes all by himself, sometimes with the help of his team. Speaking of his team, he's nearly died for them before. He took Rodney's place one time when Rodney broke a law off-world and the cheeftan was going to hang him. Colonel Lorne's team came and rescued them all just in time, but he was willing to die for Rodney. I hope I have that kind of courage and loyalty when I grow up. _

_'Besides being a great pilot and souldier, he's also an awesome guy. He's always polite to women, and nice to all of us kids, and I think the only person I've ever seen him yell at is Rodney, and a couple times Ronon. Well he's yelled at me a few times too. But only when I was younger and I deserved it. _

_'I remember when I was little he'd help me arrange the train tracks for my toy trains. And when I was four he helped me learn to read with Goodnight, Moon. He's always helped me with stuff like that, and the neatest thing he ever taught me to do was how to shoot. We go out to the shooting range about once a week and he says that if my Mom will let me I can try a P-90 next time. I hope he'll teach me to fly a jumper one day. _

_'Because of him(and because of my Mom), I think I might want to be in the Air Force when I grow up. I want to learn how to fly and I want to save lives in wars. If I'm smart enough to get through the Air Force Academy, I want to get stationed back here in Atlantis so that I can fight alongside with him. That is, if he's still here and hasn't retired off-world with an alien princess.'_

John had to clear his throat so his voice wouldn't break when he spoke. "That's…" He swallowed. "Can I keep this?"

Evie smiled and nodded.

Looking over the paper again, an idea struck him. "Hey, Evie… You know how you said I should help him with something other than homework? Something that I'm really good at?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I have an idea."

XXXXXX

"Mom, can't you just _tell_ me where we're going?" Aiden asked, frustrated.

"I said surprise, and I meant surprise," Evie maintained, leading her blindfolded son into the jumper bay. "Colonel?" she called, not knowing which jumper he was in.

John stepped out of jumper two. "Sheesh, Evie, you didn't have to blindfold him."

"Little too dramatic, sir?" she asked.

"He looks like a little POW," he joked.

"Well, _he_ would like to take this stupid thing off now," Aiden complained.

Evie removed the blindfold with a "Surprise!"

As soon as Aiden saw the jumpers, a smile lit up his face. "Are you gonna teach me to fly?!" he exclaimed to Sheppard.

"I got permission from your mom and from Elizabeth, so, providing that there are no city emergencies, we've got the whole afternoon," John grinned.

"Thanks, Mom!" Aiden said, turning to hug his mother.

"You boys have fun," she said, kissing the top of his head before she let him go. "And please come back in one piece."

"Will do, Major," John answered with a smile as he gestured for Aiden to follow him into the jumper.

Aiden excitedly slid into the copilot seat. "So what do I do first?" he asked, looking at all the dials and switches.

"First, _I_ am going to fly us to the mainland, to an area where there is nothing but grass for miles," John explained. "Patience, young grasshopper."

"Okay, what does that even _mean_?" Aiden asked.

John chuckled. "It's from an old movie."

"Well, maybe someday you should show it to me."

John smiled at the suggestion and was reminded of the words of a very smart foreigner, "Opportunity does not knock, then knock again, then leave a note saying, 'Sorry I missed you.'" Bringing the jumper to life with his mind, he turned to the boy and said, "If you're bringing the popcorn, I'll bring the movie."

Aiden smiled.

* * *

"Daddy?" Kyle said, crawling onto the bed next to where his father was trying to take a mid-afternoon nap. 

Michael opened his eyes, not having made it to sleep yet. "Yes, Kyle?"

"Can you help me with my homework?" the boy asked, holding up his notebook.

"I sure can. Whatchya working on?"

"I have to write a poem," he said, pointing to the assignment he had copied down.

"What kind of poem?" Michael asked, retrieving his glasses off the bedside table. "If it's a haiku, I can't help you."

"It's a lemmi…" Kyle looked back at the assignment. "A limerick!"

"And how does one of those go again?"

"I copied down the one from our book," Kyle said, pointing at the five lines. "I'll read it to you. 'There once was a man from Yuma, who had a chat with a puma. Five minutes after that, all they found was his hat, and a puma in a very good huma.'" He giggled. "The puma ate 'im!"

Michael smiled. "This doesn't look too hard. Let's see… 'There once was an anthropologist…'"

"Dad, nothing rhymes with anthropologist!" Kyle objected.

"Oh, fine. How about Kyle, then?"

The boy smiled and began writing in his notebook. "'There once was a boy named Kyle…'" he said slowly as he wrote.

"Now what rhymes with Kyle?" Michael asked.

"Crocodile!" Kyle exclaimed with a grin. "And I poked him with a stick!"

"'There once was a boy named Kyle, who went and poked a crocodile…'"

Kyle carefully wrote down the line.

"'The croc snapped his jaws!'" Aaron called from the desk, putting away his finished algebra homework.

"But I don't want him to bite me," Kyle said. "'The boy saved his fingers.' No, that doesn't rhyme…"

"'The boy saved his paws,'" Michael said.

"Dad, I don't have _paws_," Kyle giggled.

"It's a creative term for hands," Michael explained. "You're writing a limerick. You get poetic license."

"Is that like a driver's license?" Kyle asked, looking a little confused.

"Not quite."

Kyle shrugged and wrote down the 'paws' line.

"So what did the boy do after that?" Michael prompted. "It has to rhyme with Kyle and crocodile."

"He… 'He skipped along home with a smile!'" Kyle grinned and wrote down his last line.

"Read the whole thing," Aaron said, joining his father and brother on the bed.

Kyle cleared his throat dramatically. "'My First Limerick' by Kyle Murphy. 'There once was a boy named Kyle, who went and poked a crocodile. The croc snapped his jaws, the boy saved his paws, and skipped along home with a smile.'" He grinned proudly when he was finished.

"Very good," Michael praised. "Is that all you have for homework?"

"Yeah, 'cause I already finished my math homework," Kyle answered.

"Yeah, 'cause he only has _easy_ work to do," Aaron said, wincing when his voice cracked.

Kyle laughed. "You sound so silly, Aaron," he teased.

"Don't make fun of me, I can't help it!" Aaron cried, causing his voice to crack again.

Kyle started laughing again, but Michael said, "You'll sound like that in a few years, too, Kyle, so don't make fun of your brother too much."

Kyle immediately sobered. "Okay. Hey, Aaron, you wanna write a limmick?"

Aaron smiled. "I guess I can give it a try."

* * *

Hoping that her son and husband (and jumper two) were still in one piece, Evie sat at her computer, working on a project she'd been trying to finish for months. She knew she probably ought to be writing her late mission report, but she couldn't stand to see John go through another fatherly crisis like he had recently; she wanted to finish this for him. 

For the last couple of months she'd been sifting through all her pictures of Aiden and adding images of him and John together to a slideshow. The title card read, '_**Father**__, n. A man who begets or raises or nurtures a child. He can be silly and fun, but he knows when it's time to make the hard decisions and will put his in child in their place. He is strong, but not afraid to cry. He is stern, but gives the softest hugs. He may be afraid, but he will work through the fear. He is a steady compass, giving direction. He enjoys playing with his child, throwing a ball around the yard and wrestling with his son. He teaches his son the important things in life: respect for authority, obedience, kindness, how to fly, how to shoot, and how to treat girls. A father is someone who will love his child no matter what. And because of these things, his child will love him in return.' _  
Evie planned on letting John be alone when he watched it.

It still made her cry most times she when watched what she had put together so far, captured moments in time that reflected the way things _should_ have been. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't second-guess herself every day for making the decision not to quit the Air Force back when she had first found out she was pregnant.

Evie pushed those thoughts aside and added some more pictures. She owed most of the great, "in the moment" shots to Summer, who had frequently brought her camera to the childcare room over the years and had managed to come on some of the days when John was either volunteering or just visiting. One of her favorite pictures was of John with a semi-grossed out expression as the four-month-old Aiden he was holding gave him a big, wet kiss on the cheek. Summer had done an amazing job taking natural photographs and there were images she'd taken of father and son all the way up to when Aiden was nine. She'd taken a really good one when Aiden was two: John had tossed him up in the air and the picture caught the boy in midair with a huge grin on his face, and John with an equally happy smile, arms ready to catch him.

Evie had taken hundreds of pictures herself, but she didn't have Summer's photography skills. Still, she had chosen several favorites from her digital camera. One of the earliest ones, and Evie's all-time favorite, was one she'd taken when Aiden was only a few months old and John had offered to take care of him while Summer and Evie watched a movie together. When she came back to her quarters, John was asleep in the rocking chair, the sleeping Aiden cradled protectively in his arms. It wasn't the first time she'd returned to find them like that, but it was the first time she'd thought to take a picture.

The most _recent_ one she had was a picture that Aiden had gotten a bystander to take when John had taken Aiden to a football game back on Earth. Evie smiled when she remembered how she'd convinced John to take him…

"_Can't __**you**__ take him, Evie? Jake is supposed to be in Colorado that week and I've already asked Elizabeth for a few days off." _

_"Well, that's the beauty of it; you've already got permission! And Aiden **really** wants to go to this game. Besides, **I** took Aiden and Aaron to that Metal Maniacs concert, and I'm still not hearing everything clearly." _

_"But I really wanted to see Jake," John maintained. _

_"But I think football's stupid," she shot back with a shrug. _

_John scowled. "I still can't figure out how you managed to hide this glaring character flaw from me before we were married." _

_Evie rolled her eyes. "Besides, you goof, if you take him on Wednesday, you can shove him back through the Gate that night and then hang with Jake until Elizabeth says you have to come back home. They're not mutually exclusive events." _

_The proverbial light bulb went on for John, as if doing both hadn't occurred to him before. "I could…" _

_"And then I'd owe you one," Evie added. _

_"One what?" _

_"One **anything**," she replied suggestively. _

_"Ooh… I think I may take you up on that," he grinned. _

_"Shall we shake on it?" Evie teased, offering her hand. _

_"Shake?" John repeated disapprovingly, then leaned in to kiss her instead…

* * *

_

"That's the altimeter, and this last one right here is the velocimeter," John pointed out.

"The what?"

"It's like a speedometer in a car."

Aiden blinked.

"Right… Like you would know what a speedometer is… It tells you how fast you're going."

Aiden nodded. "Got it."

"Alright. I've powered it down completely and now I want you to turn it back on," John instructed.

"Okay… Where's the control for that?"

John smiled. "This is a puddlejumper. Concentrate."

Aiden nodded in realization. "Right. So…just 'on'?"

"Gently coax her to power up," John guided. "Think about it long and hard."

"That's what she said," Aiden smirked.

John reached over and whacked the back of his son's head.

"Hey!"

"You don't need to be making jokes like that," he reprimanded.

"Sorry… I picked it up from some of the Marines," Aiden said sheepishly.

"Try thinking a little less about innuendo and more about the jumper," John said.

Aiden closed his eyes and thought about asking the jumper to come online. He decided it felt a little bit like trying to coax a shy animal out of hiding.

He felt a rush of adrenaline as the jumper came to life. All the controls lit up, the lights came on, and there was a gentle, vibrant hum indicating that she was ready to go when ordered.

"Now what?" he grinned.

"Check your instruments. Make sure everything's working properly."

Aiden looked over the controls and, seeing nothing amiss, asked, "Now do I bring up the HUD?"

John nodded. "Very good."

Aiden thought very hard, '_HUD.'_ The jumper sensed the gene strong within him, but she also sensed his hesitation. When nothing happened, Aiden tried again, '_HUD, please?' _This time, the heads-up display filled the jumper windshield.

"Now, normally this would give you a summary of the terrain ahead, but since we're in the middle of a giant meadow, we don't have to worry about trees or mountains or anything. It also shows you any life signs that may be in the area. But again, there's nothing out here for miles."

"So can I try to fly it now?" Aiden asked eagerly.

"I want you to ease it off the ground _very gently_," John instructed.

With a little more confidence than his last command, Aiden ordered the jumper to begin hovering.

"Good. Now I want us at about twenty feet when we start cruising, so take us up."

When Aiden thought this next thought a little too eagerly, the jumper shot up into the sky.

"Crap! _Slowly_, Aiden!" John exclaimed, taking over and slowing the little ship. "Now set the altimeter at twenty notches so we don't go bounce up and down when you start trying to fly."

Aiden adjusted the proper control.

"Now, flying it is a combination of both mental commands and steering. It can be a little tricky at first, but you're smart and I think you'll catch on pretty quick. So I want you to grip the yoke, and _slowly_ start moving forward."

"But how will I know when to think and when to use this?" Aiden asked nervously, taking the yoke in his hands.

"You'll feel it," John explained. "And she'll let you know."

* * *

"So… 'There once was a boy named Aaron'… What rhymes with Aaron?" he asked. 

Michael thought for a second, then answered, "Well, if you drop your g's like your Aunt Evie does, you could go with sharin' or carin' or starin.'"

Aaron grinned impishly. "'There once was a boy named Aaron. At my girlfriend he always was starin.''" Words and writing were Aaron's strongpoint, and he quickly added, "'I punched him, one-two. Now his eye's black and blue…' Umm…"

"Something about carin'?" Kyle offered.

Aiden shook his head and then began laughing a moment later. "'And emo music now he's blarin'!'" He grinned proudly and Michael just rolled his eyes.

"Dad, what's emo music?" Kyle asked.

"It's when hormonal teenage boys who wear girls' pants and put on eyeliner sing songs like this." Michael pretended to strum a guitar as he sang mournfully and off-key. "My life sucks and nobody loves meeeee! I hate the whole world because nobody understands meeeee!" Aaron and Kyle were giggling, so Michael went on. "And my dog died so now I have to cry a lot and write a sad, sad song about it!"

"Dad," Aaron managed between bursts of laughter. "I think you should keep your day job."

* * *

"So, we're gonna do this again, right?" Aiden asked they neared the city. "Like a lot?" 

John slowed his speed a little. "It depends on how much free time I have," he answered. "Actually, your mom thinks this should be used as an incentive to get good grades; you get all A's and you get a flying lesson."

Aiden made a face. "When can I fly it by myself?"

"Aiden, you nearly crashed it once. In a _meadow_." Aiden grinned in amused remembrance. "I think it's gonna be a while before I let you fly it solo."

Aiden sighed as they began descending into the jumper bay. It was all that stupid Lantean bird's fault that he had swerved, anyway…

When they landed in the jumper bay, they saw through the windshield that Evie was waiting for them. "How was it, honey?" she called as John shut down all the jumper's systems.

"Amazing!" Aiden exclaimed.

Evie held up her camera and snapped a picture. Aiden didn't even have to be told to smile, as he was already grinning from ear to ear.

"How 'bout you eat dinner with me and give me all the fun details?" she asked, moving around to meet her son at the back of the jumper.

"'Kay." Aiden hit the button to lower the rear hatch. Excited to relate his afternoon to his mother, he turned and started to dash out of the jumper. He hesitated, though, and turned back to the front. "Thanks, Uncle John," he said, hugging Sheppard. "This was really fun."

Surprised, John hugged him back tightly. "We'll do it again."

Aiden smiled as he let him go. "See ya."


	42. Holiday

**A/N:** Tigger and Commodore, I hope you both have a great start to this semester. My darling readers, I've got, like, 5 whole chapters ready for y'all now, 'cause you guys have been so patient and good. At this rate I should be done before Spring Break. :-D

* * *

**Fourteen Years Old - March 2021**

_"Me and you. And you and me. No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be. The only one for me is you, and you for me. So happy together. If I should call you up, invest a dime, and you say you belong to me and ease my mind. Imagine how the world could be so very fine. So happy together. I can't see me loving nobody but you for all my life. When you're with me, baby, the skies will be blue for all my life." - Simple Plan, "Happy Together" _

"That was actually quite enjoyable, Michael," Evie informed her friend with a smile as they came through the Gate, home once again.

"I told you so," he replied. "Just because they don't speak doesn't mean we can't learn from them."

"Well, they were entertaining, to say the least. I just wish the short one hadn't been so enthusiastic with that fishing rod you made for him," she winced.

"Yeah, you might want to have Carson take a look at that," Michael said sympathetically.

Evie nodded and then looked at her watch. "Hey, Summer and Laura and John should be back with the kids by now!"

Michael grinned and the two of them quickly made their way to the rec room.

Evie and Michael were nearly run over by the stampede of all eleven children on their way to dinner. The two of them entered the room and saw John, Summer, and Laura sitting on the couches and looking exhausted. There were backpacks scattered all over the floor, and the kids had left one of the TVs on.

When John saw Evie running across the room with a wide grin, he stood to his feet to embrace her; when she tackled _Summer_ rather than him, he made a small squawk of indignation.

"I missed you!" Evie cried, hugging her friend tightly.

"Missed you, too," Summer smiled, amused by the expression she could see on the colonel's face. "Wish you could have come along and helped me wrangle the rugrats."

"I wish I could have come, too," she said, releasing Summer. When she turned to hug John, he pushed her back -- teasingly, of course.

"No," he said, trying his best to look terribly offended. "You hugged _her_ first. Now I don't even want you."

"Think you hurt his feelings, Major," Laura chided playfully.

"I sorry?" Evie tried, sticking out her pouting lower lip when he didn't respond. "Forgive me?"

"Maybe…"

Evie smiled and hugged him. "Missed _you_, too…"

When he leaned down to kiss her, she recoiled after only a second. "Ow! Careful. I went with Michael to re-visit the inhabitants of M2L-909, and I think one of them broke my nose," she informed him, gingerly touching the injured part of her face.

Summer, who had just finished her own embrace with Michael, asked, "You three coming to dinner with us?"

Laura nodded. "I'm starving."

"I'm not hungry," John answered, then looked down at his wife. "You?" She shook her head. "Why don't you guys go on? We'll catch up with you later."

Laura gave the colonel a knowing smile and cautioned, "Don't let Norrington catch you."

"Will do." He collapsed back onto the couch as the three others left. Evie sat down with one of his sprawled legs on either side of her, and leaned back against his chest. John shifted a little and wrapped his arms around her. He'd never needed the snuggling as much as she seemed to, but if she wanted to be held, he was more than happy to oblige her.

"So are you gonna volunteer to help chaperone the kids' _next_ spring break trip?" she teased, seeing how tired he was.

"Hey, I may be looking older, but I can still enjoy Disney World," he said.

Evie smiled. "I'm glad you had fun, baby. Did the kids like it?"

"The kids had a blast. Laura and I took the older kids and poor Summer was stuck with all the little ones."

"Sounds like y'all had a good time," Evie smiled.

"Y'all?" John repeated, amused.

"Yes, John. I went home to see my parents for a few days and got back in touch with my hick roots, okay?"

"But your parents live in Colorado now," John pointed out.

"But we'll still talk like Texans 'til the day we die," Evie smiled. "So what all did y'all do? I'm sure it's way different than when I last went."

"There's a lot of new rides, but the best ones are still there. We rode the Rock N' Roller Coaster at least five times. Our uneducated kids didn't know who Aerosmith was," he said, shaking his head. "But the best one was on Tuesday when we did the Tower of Terror."

"Is that the one that drops you thirteen stories and then yanks you back up and drops you some more?"

"It's my favorite," John grinned. "But poor Caitlyn threw up as soon as we got off."

"Aww! Was she okay?"

"Yeah, Laura took her and the other girls to watch the parade while we guys did Batman."

"So this year's spring break was a complete success, then?"

John nodded. "Except for the part where all the running around and being crazy made me realize that I'm not as young as I used to be."

"You're not that old yet, baby. _Caldwell_ is old," she consoled.

John's eyebrows went up at that. "Didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Caldwell died last week," John answered.

Evie frowned. She'd never been best friends with the man, but she was still saddened by the news. He'd retired last year, after raising up Colonel Craig Norrington, his little protégé. Caldwell had passed on his wisdom, his knowledge, and -- unfortunately -- his suspicions about John and Evie. Even though nearly the entire colony knew, the two of them had been careful enough when Caldwell had been around, so he had never had any evidence to use against them. Colonel Norrington, commander of the _Cerberus_, wasn't around as often as Caldwell had been, so John and Evie managed to stay on his good side for the most part.

"That's kind of depressing," Evie said, imagining Caldwell dying of a stroke or a heart attack in a lonely nursing home.

"He was seventy-one. Besides, it's not like he was suffering. He died in his sleep, snuggled up to his hot Latina girlfriend, on his yacht in the south of France."

This seemed to make Evie feel better. "That's how I wanna go," she decided.

"Snuggled up to your hot girlfriend?" John teased.

Evie playfully hit his arm.

XXXXXX

"You look tired," Rodney commented when John joined him at his breakfast table the next morning.

"Fell asleep in Evie's room last night," John mumbled sleepily as he dropped into the chair across from McKay.

"Well, that would explain the tiredness," Rodney said wryly.

"Huh? Oh. No, we didn't get around to it; we fell asleep." He folded his arms on the table and rested his head on them.

"If you fell asleep, why are you tired?"

"She _snores_," John groaned.

"Oh, you poor baby," Rodney said with mock sympathy.

"Kept me up half the night," the pilot lamented.

"Well, why didn't you just roll her over or put a pillow over your head?"

"Tried both," John answered. "The nights she decides to snore, she's _really_ loud."

"Well, it's Sunday; you're allowed to take a nap," Rodney reminded.

John sat up. "Yeah…"

When Rodney noticed that John was still staring at the table with an annoyed expression a moment later, he asked, "What?"

"She's just been getting on my nerves a little bit lately," John sighed.

"I'm sure she's not snoring on purpose."

"I know, but it's the other little things. Like last week. She wouldn't let me show Aiden _Animal House_ because of the topless scene. The kid's fourteen; it's not like he's never seen…y'know…" He made a cupping gesture over his chest.

"Unless he stole a Playboy from one of the Marines, he probably hasn't, actually," Rodney pointed out.

"Oh, so you're taking her side now?"

"I wasn't aware this was a big enough issue to have _sides_."

John sighed. "I guess it's not," he finally said. "It's just… Sometimes she really bugs me, you know?"

"Yeah, well, we all have our issues, okay?" Rodney said, annoyed that John was bothering him with this. "Living with Mary's not always a picnic. That woman has some annoying quirks, too. You should try her."

"Ooh, could I?" John asked mischievously.

"Wait, what?" Rodney looked confused. "I don't think I…what?"

"That sounds like it would be really interesting."

"What would be?"

"Switching spouses for the evening!"

"But, I--"

"Great idea, Rodney," John said, slapping the other man's shoulder. "I'm gonna go talk to Evie about it."

"But--"

But John was already out the door.

XXXXXX

After persuading Evie and Mary that this would be a fun way to spend the evening and adding that they would probably come away with a better appreciation for their _own_ spouses, John left his wife with Rodney while he and Mary went to the rec room.

There was a moment of silence as Rodney and Evie tried to think of something to say or something they could do.

Rodney finally spoke up. "Just so you know, I'm not here because I want to be."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't take that personally," Evie said, pretending to be offended.

"So, did you have something in mind for this… thing we've been forced into?" he asked.

She smiled. "Yes, actually. I thought we could--"

"No."

"Well, how about--"

"No."

"What if we--"

"No."

Evie sighed in frustration, then finally noticed the smile tugging at his lips and realized he was teasing. "Ice cream?" she tried.

"Ooh." Rodney's eyes lit up.

* * *

"So, what do you and Rodney normally do for fun?" John asked as Mary dug through the plastic tub that the games were kept in.

"We sit on the couches and talk about the weather patterns of different planets," Mary deadpanned.

"Oh." John had missed the fact that she was being sarcastic.

"I'm kidding. Sometimes we play cards and swap scientist jokes and stories about the latest display of incompetence in our labs." She finally found the deck of cards. "Know how to play gin?" she asked.

John smiled. "I love gin."

"Then if you've got any good jokes, we'll be all set."

"I know _lots_ of good jokes," John answered, "but I won't tell them to a lady."

"I suppose we'll have to settle for conversation then," she said as she began dealing out the cards. "You won't _believe_ what my lab assistant Neil did the other day…"

* * *

Evie grabbed a can of root beer and Rodney picked up a small bottle of a dark liquid. "What is that?" Evie asked as she opened her can and began pouring it into her cup full of ice cream.

"Some alien liquor Radek brought back that he swears tastes amazing with ice cream," Rodney answered, pouring almost the whole bottle onto his dessert.

"You promise to keep all your clothes on if I let you have that, Rodney?" Evie asked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, giving her a strange look.

"_Every_ time you get drunk, you take your shirt off. Or lose your pants."

"That's not true," he said quickly.

Evie just looked at him.

"Not _every_ time…" When she continued to give him that look, he sighed and reached for his spoon.

The drink had a high sugar content, which meant that it had metabolized and hit Rodney's blood stream after only ten minutes. He wasn't quite drunk, but he was loose enough to start enjoying himself. He and Evie got along together well enough, but since it was just the two of them tonight, he'd been feeling a little awkward and uptight.

"We should go do something crazy," Evie said with a grin. "Like… Like go into the laundry room and steal somebody's clothes!"

"You're insane, you know that?" Rodney asked, pouring more liquor into his cup.

"Well, we can just sit here and talk if you wanna be _boring_," she sighed.

"Think of something to talk about and I'll make it interesting," he said.

"Fine. Umm… We could talk about your last mission… Or our children… How are your girls? Oh! Oh!" she exclaimed before he had a chance to respond. "Did you hear about Caldwell?"

"That he died?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "On a yacht near France. I've always wanted to sail around on a yacht. I've also always wanted to go to France, but I don't know any French. Have you ever been to France?"

Rodney didn't see how she could be so perky and energetic at the end of the day, but he took another gulp of his drink and decided he'd try his best to keep up with her.

* * *

"What do you and Evie usually do?" Mary asked as they tried to figure out something to do after their last game of gin.

"Well, the last thing we did together was sneak around the city last night and attack anybody who was still up with water guns," John said, grinning in remembrance.

"Water guns?" Mary repeated.

"Yeah. We got Zelenka _really_ good. He even started yelling at us in Czech as we ran off down the hall." He chuckled. "They're the boys' water guns, but I've still got 'em if you wanna go for it."

"Oh. I don't want to make anybody mad," Mary answered. "And I'm not very sneaky."

John shrugged. "You got anything in mind, then?"

"I could teach you to knit," she teased.

"I'm not going to dignify that suggestion with a response." Mary laughed. "We could…" John's eyes fell upon the game box that some of the kids had left lying out. "Play Twister?"

"That's a bit of a kinky game for _adults_, isn't it, Colonel?"

"Well, we can't spend the whole two hours throwing out each other's suggestions," John sighed.

"We could always just watch a movie," she said.

"Like what?"

"_Pride and Prejudice_?" she asked, hopeful.

John rolled his eyes. "That's such a _girly_ movie."

Mary shook her head, not surprised by his comment. "Oh, that's just what a man would say."

"What do you see in Darcy, anyway?" he asked. "He's such a snob at the beginning."

"But he grows as a character," she explained. "That's the important thing. That, and he's hot, obviously."

"I wouldn't know."

"What, you never watched a movie just for a hot girl?"

"Sure. _The Thomas Crown Affair_. It's got one of my favorite scenes ever."

"And which one would that be?" Mary asked curiously.

"Rene Russo shows up this black dress that's just…" He gestured with his hands. "Well, it's almost completely sheer," he grinned appreciatively. "And then she's got three really hot topless scenes…" He blushed a little when he realized who he was talking to. "But Evie doesn't need to know I said that."

Mary gave him a stern look for a moment more, then asked, "So what's your favorite movie for a reason that doesn't involve a naked woman?"

John paused for a moment, almost looking sheepish. "Umm, it's kind of… It's not the most _macho_ movie. You'll think it's stupid…"

Mary smiled. "You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine?"

* * *

After nearly a half hour of talking about all the things they'd always wanted to do but never had done, Rodney and Evie fell into a comfortable silence. Evie was getting sleepy now that the conversation had died, and Rodney had had so much of the alien liquor that he was starting to get a little drowsy and less inhibited.

When Evie saw him staring off into space and smiling strangely, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"When you kissed me that one time…" he answered, turning to look at her.

"That was, like, fifteen years ago," she said, not really wanting to talk about _that_ particular subject.

"I know, but did you… did you feel anything?"

Evie looked down at her nearly-empty cup. "Rodney, we're both happily married. Why are you asking me that?"

"Because I'm drunk?" he answered with a lopsided grin. "But don't you remember? Back when Aiden was born and we told everyone we were…y'know--"

"So!" Evie interrupted, feeling very uncomfortable. "What do you like most about Mary?"

"What?" He seemed caught off-guard by the abrupt subject change.

"What do you like most about your wife?"

"Well--"

"_Besides_ that," Evie cut off his almost-certain answer.

"Hmm…" He appeared to be concentrating very hard. "She has this way of…eating strawberries…"

Evie snorted. "Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know if she does it on purpose or not, but it's very…"

"Sensual?" Evie offered.

"That's the word!"

Since they were already started down the path, and Evie didn't think Rodney was sober enough to remember much of this conversation tomorrow, she asked, "So…after she eats these strawberries, what do _you_ do? To get _her_ going, I mean?" She took another sip of her ice cream/root beer slush.

"She gets me to read aloud science journal articles while posing nude as _The Thinker _on the edge of the bed."

Evie spewed her drink all across the table. Rodney laughed heartily at her reaction. "Are you serious?!" she exclaimed.

"Of course not!" he answered, handing her a napkin. "Though she _does_ like it when I talk science. But if I want to…'get her going'… she really likes it when I just hug her."

Evie smiled at the innocent form of affection. "Aww, that's just so sweet!"

"I guess… Why, what does it for you?"

"Oh…" Evie blushed and looked down again.

"Nonono," he pressed. "If you got me drunk enough to tell _you_, you have to spill!"

"Well…" She couldn't believe they were having this discussion. But, she _did_ start it. And it's not like he was going to remember in the morning. "I kind of have a biting thing…"

Rodney eyed her strangely. "You bite him?"

"No… He bites _me_." More blushing.

She could tell by the way his expression changed, that he found this to be a turn on. "And now to complete the circle of kissing and telling awkwardness…" He made a rolling motion with his hand. "What do you do for him?"

"Well, he _really_ likes it when I do this little thing to his neck."

"Could you be a little more vague?" he said sarcastically.

Evie reached over and trailed her finger from just under Rodney's ear down his neck to his collar. The amount of pressure was just right to make Rodney shiver.

"Ooh, do that again."

Evie laughed and touched him again, not hearing the approaching footsteps of Mary and John. "Only you're supposed do it with your tongue," she said, then giggled. "And then John makes this noise that sounds like the most pleased cat you've ever heard."

When Rodney tried to imitate the noise, they both started laughing.

"What are you doing?" John asked, announcing his presence.

Evie looked over and smiled. "Hey, baby."

When Rodney saw John, he ducked his head guiltily, knowing how jealous the pilot had gotten over things like this before.

"Why were you touching him?" John asked, not angry, but clearly annoyed.

"Umm…I'm sorry?" Evie answered. "It's not like I meant anything. Chill out. We were just goofing off."

"Uh-huh." He didn't look convinced, but he decided not to press the matter any further at the moment.

"You two have fun?" Evie asked.

"We did," Mary smiled. "We played cards and talked and then we got into a movie debate."

"Awesome. John, I'm gonna wash these out and then we can go."

"I'll help you," Mary said, walking over and retrieving Rodney's glass and spoon.

The two women walked into the kitchen together, talking.

"Rodney…" John sighed when their wives were gone.

"You know what?" Rodney said sedatedly, the last of the buzz from the alien liquor wearing off and leaving him feeling sleepy. "I'm glad she and I never _did_ hook up," he told John. "You can _have_ her."

"What's that supposed to mean? What's wrong with her?" John asked defensively.

"Nothing's _wrong_ with her… I just get the feeling we'd have killed each other years ago if we'd lived together. She's too…"

"Energetic? Carefree? Bouncy? Easily-amused?" John supplied.

"Any one of those will do," Rodney said, yawning.

"Well, after seeing how calm and quiet Mary is, I wouldn't trade Evie for anything. Doesn't it ever bug you that Mary doesn't do anything outrageous or spontaneous every once in a while?"

"Are you kidding? She's my calm little center of the universe. She keeps me sane," Rodney said, then added, "And she can be outrageous when the situation calls for it."

"All done," Evie said as she and Mary came out of the kitchen. "You two have a good evening," she addressed her friends as she and John started to leave the mess hall.

A second later, she paused. "Hey, Rodney," she called back over her shoulder. "Second fridge, third shelf from the top." She gave him a smile, then continued walking with John.

Curious, Rodney entered the kitchen and looked where she had told him. He smiled when he saw the bowl of ripe, red fruit. "Hey, Mary, c'mere…"

XXXXXX

John and Evie decided that the nice thing about staying up late was that there was no one to catch them as they snuck into her quarters. John immediately pulled her into a passionate kiss. One of plus sides of making her husband jealous (though Evie truly hadn't meant to this time) was that he was always more fervent and aggressive with her afterwards, as if he were trying to overcompensate.

"I'm sorry," she whispered when they broke the kiss.

"You touched him _there_, Evie," he whined.

"I wasn't trying to make you jealous, baby, I promise. He was drunk and I was hyper."

"Excuses, excuses."

"How about I make it all better?" she asked in that low tone she'd perfected over the years. She stood on her toes and slowly ran her tongue down the side of his neck. He shuddered and the sound that came from his throat truly did sound catlike. She stepped back and instructed, "Take your shirt off."

A grin lit up his face. "Am I getting sex?"

She shook her head. "Not tonight, baby. Go lie on the bed."

While John did as he was told, Evie turned on the lotion warmer Summer had gotten her for her birthday years ago. Placing the container on her bedside table, she told John, "On your stomach."

John complied and a few seconds later he felt Evie rubbing something hot onto his shoulders. "Ohh, that feels good," he moaned as she began massaging the heated lotion into his skin.

"You're so tense, John," she said, using her fingers to ease the tightness in his muscles.

"I got shot at today," he mumbled. "Getting shot at makes me tense."

"You liar, it's Sunday!"

"Is it?" When she applied more lotion and moved her hands slightly lower, he groaned again and closed his eyes in pleasure. "Mmm, you're so amazing." Evie just smiled.

Fifteen minutes later, John was completely relaxed and almost asleep. "So, I guess you're sleeping here, then?" Evie asked, switching off the lotion warmer.

"Unnnhh," was the only response she got.

Evie smiled and turned off the lights. Then she squeezed herself onto the bed next to him, sliding underneath his arm.

"La' you," John mumbled, moments away from sleep.

"Love you too," she said, placing a goodnight kiss on his shoulder.


	43. Mother's Day

**Fifteen Years Old - May 2021**

_"Nowhere, nowhere on Earth I'd rather be. No one can take this away from you and me. You showed me faith is not blind. I don't need wings to help me fly. Miracles happen once in a while, when you believe. You showed me dreams come to light, that takin' a chance on us was right. All things will come with a little time, when You believe." - Myra, "Miracles Happen" _

Rodney was drinking a very strong, very black coffee when he overheard the conversation.

"Sometimes it just seems like he's only in it for the sex."

He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but with the headache and mild hangover he was currently nursing, he didn't feel like moving or using up brain cells trying to ignore the girls talking.

"Why do you say that?" Summer asked.

"Well, both of our primary love languages is touch, which doesn't just mean sex but all the little things, like hugs and holding hands and all the little touches," Evie explained. "So we've always clicked pretty well. But then he's a quality time guy, whereas my second one is words of affirmation. So if he gives me a hug and a kiss and an 'I love you and, hey, you did great on your last mission', I'll be good for the day. And _he'll_ usually want to eat together or spar or play a game. But lately it seems like we haven't been talking much at all, or even doing anything together besides sex every once in a while."

"Michael and I have been through this a few times, too, babe," Summer assured. "You've just gotta push through it. And you definitely have to make an effort. Set aside time to be with him, not having sex. My mom always told me, 'Falling in love is easy, _staying_ in love is hard.' You guys will pull through, though, 'cause I know you two really love each other."

"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you to give me these little pep talks, Summer," Evie smiled.

"Hey, you were the one doing the pepping a few years ago, remember?" She returned the smile. "So what are you gonna do with him that's not sex?"

"He's off-world until late tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have something by then."

Remembering more of what had kept him up last night, Rodney decided to do a little cheering up, too. When Evie started to leave the mess hall, mission report in hand, he quickly caught up to her.

"Hey," he said simply.

"Hey, Rodney," she smiled. "Wait, why aren't you off-world with John?"

"Had a little too much to drink last night and Carson said I should sit this one out," he shrugged. "McKenzie's got a bit of a hangover, too."

"What _were_ you guys doing until four AM?" she wanted to know.

"Well, there was drinking, obviously. And then we ended up playing this dumb little game where we'd ask each other stupid questions and then we'd have to either answer them directly or act it out Charades-style. So what we ended up with was basically a crude, manly version of 'Truth or Dare.'"

"Sounds fantastic," Evie said sarcastically.

"Anyways, Sheppard's question was, 'What is your favorite part of sex?' And thankfully he respected you enough not to act it out. So you know what his answer was?"

Evie sighed. "Does it start with an 'o'?" she asked wryly.

Rodney smiled and shook his head. "You."

"Me?" she repeated.

"Yeah, and when we asked him to elaborate, his answer was so poetic he put Tennyson to shame. Or maybe it only seemed really eloquent because we were all drunk…"

"Well, what did he say?" Evie was curious now.

"I'm trying to remember…"

"Rodney…"

"Well, all the guys in there knew about you two, so he started talking about you. And he mentioned that you'd never been with anyone else--"

Evie felt her face quickly grow hot. "He told them all that?" She wasn't ashamed that she'd been a virgin when she'd married John, she just felt that it was an intimate detail that the whole colony didn't need to know.

"Which is totally hot, by the way, and he was saying how your deciding that he was the only guy good enough for you was probably the biggest ego-trip he's ever gotten. But then he was quick to add that it's never about an ego-trip when he's with you. He said…oh, I knew I should have written it down. It was damn poetic."

"So you keep saying." She knew his head was still a little fuzzy but, honestly, why start telling her if he couldn't remember the good part?

"Something like… It's never about an ego-trip, it's just about loving you."

Evie smiled, touched.

"And that when you cuddle up against him when it's over and tell him that you love him, _that's_ when he feels complete."

The part of Evie that simply wanted to be loved and treasured was exploding with giddy happiness. Her smile was wide, and she was blushing at the same time. "That's… wow."

"Just thought you might like to know," he said with a little smile.

"That is exactly what I needed to hear today, Rodney. Thank you."

"Welcome." When she clicked her pen and began writing something down on a piece of paper in her folder, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Are you kidding? I'm writing that down and I'm going to carry this piece of paper in my pocket for the rest of my life."

Rodney snorted. "You're such a _girl_…"

"Shut up. So what was _your_ question?" she asked as she wrote, remembering the words almost exactly.

"McKenzie asked me the stupidest thing I've ever done while I was drunk."

"And what'd you say?"

"Do you remember the time we all got drunk and danced to the 'Time Warp'?"

Evie giggled. "I remember the time _y'all_ all got drunk and danced to it. Heck, even Elizabeth was doing it."

"Yeah, well, I can't dance even when I'm sober, so…"

"Stupidest thing," Evie grinned.

XXXXXX

_"I just don't think we're being fair to him, Radek," Elizabeth sighed. "The other mothers asked their teenagers if they wanted to go to a real high school back on Earth now that they're old enough. And those families were willing to actually move back Earthside if their children said yes." _

_"But, milá__č__ek, all the children said that they wanted to stay here," Radek pointed out. "I believe Aiden's exact words were 'Why the heck would I want to leave Atlantis? Earth is so lame.'" _

_"Yes, but in all my busyness as leader of the expedition, I've never once asked Lukas if he would like to live back on Earth. It's so hard for him to get around here, and I feel terrible asking him to make the sacrifices he's made just so that I can have the job of a lifetime." _

_"Elizabeth, you know he loves it here, and even if he wanted to live on Earth, he'd never ask you and I to leave Atlantis." _

_"I know," she sighed heavily. "Which is why I may have to make that decision on my own." A few tears threatened as she looked wistfully out the window…_

"I wish the little Belfan brats were half as tolerant of needles as you are," Carson said as he watched Lukas give himself his weekly injection. When he turned ten in a little over seven months, Carson was going to let him do it all himself, unsupervised, thus saving Lukas the hassle of having to wheel into the infirmary once a week. "Are you ready to try some more strengthening exercises?" he asked.

"Yes," Lukas smiled.

"I just don't want you over-exerting yourself like you did yesterday," Carson cautioned.

"I'll be fine, Dr. Beckett," Lukas assured. "I can do this."

"Aye. Ya keep at it, and you'll make it happen," Carson encouraged. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

XXXXXX

"Hey," Rodney greeted when he found his wife in their quarters just as he'd hoped he would. "I have an hour off before I have to get back to being productive, and since it's been a while since the last time, I was hoping we could…" He trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

Mary frowned. "Sex, sex, sex. That's all men _ever _think about!" she accused.

Rodney gave her a strange look. "Umm… Yes. Most of the time. But we can't help it; it's just the way we're wired. So is that a yes or no?"

"Piss off," she snapped.

"Mary Katherine McKay, what is your problem?" he barked.

She scowled angrily. "I'm PMS-ing, you idiot. Or didn't you get the memo?"

Rodney closed his eyes and counted to ten in his head. "I can't stand to be around you when you're like this, so I'm just going to go," he said with forced calmness.

"See you in a week," she called as he left.

XXXXXX

Instead of spending time with his wife, Rodney found himself in the rec room watching a movie with John, who was trying to fall asleep on the comfy couch.

Several minutes later, Evie walked in. "There you are," she said when she saw her husband. "What are you doing?"

"I'm napping," he mumbled, lifting up the blanket as an invitation for her to join him.

Evie slid in next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Rodney told me what you said," she murmured, then kissed him thoroughly.

Brought back to the land of the conscious by the kiss, John asked, "I'm glad you approve. What'd I say?"

"A bunch of really sweet things that made me feel like the most special woman in the world."

"You _are_ the most special woman in the world," he said, leaning forward to gently kiss her neck. "And the funniest, and the prettiest, and the best in--"

"Can you two be annoying and sappy someplace else?" Rodney scowled.

"Ah, the complaint of a man not getting any," John teased.

"Oh, I'm getting as much as I need, not that it's any of your business," Rodney sneered. "But right now Mary's freaking PMS-ing, and she's being a real--"

"Don't you say it!" Evie warned. "I can't stand it when guys call girls that."

"Sheppard called you it to your face last week," Rodney pointed out.

John winced. It hadn't exactly been his finest moment…

"Yeah, and what happened?" Evie asked.

"You…whacked him upside the head with Teyla's bantos rod."

"And I'll hit you, too, if you say mean things about Mary," she promised.

"But you don't understand--"

"_You_ don't understand!" Evie insisted. "Do you want me to explain exactly what her emotions and body are going through right now?"

Both men answered a firm, simultaneous, "No."

"Okay, then," Evie said, closing her eyes and snuggling up against John.

"You know, somebody's going to come in here and see you two," Rodney warned.

"Then why don't you go and keep watch?" Evie suggested, nuzzling John's neck with her nose.

"Keep watch?" Rodney frowned.

"C'mon, McKay, we haven't had a moment together all week," John sighed.

"Oh, you poor baby. And the whole universe will be thrown out of alignment if you don't get laid at least once a week," Rodney snapped.

"I'm not talking about sex, you dumbass," John retorted. "I haven't even _seen_ her this whole week."

"Oh."

"But, baby, he's right about the universe. Think we should make the sacrifice and do it?" Evie teased. "For the good of mankind of course."

John grunted. "Don't wanna," he said and snuggled his face into her shoulder.

"Are you ill?" Rodney asked, only half-teasing.

John raised his hand to make an offending gesture in Rodney's direction, but stopped when he heard Michael's voice approaching from outside.

"Why, yes, _Colonel Norrington_, I would love to play Halo with you," Michael said, a little louder than necessary. "Want to play Halo with me and _Colonel Norrington_, Summer?"

John and Evie took the hint and reluctantly sat up and moved to opposite sides of the couch. Norrington, Michael, and Summer entered the rec room a few seconds later and, after "hello"s were exchanged, made a beeline for the game console.

"Oh, Michael. I meant to say _thank you_ for that nice thing you did for me the other day," Evie said, emphasizing a little more than necessary. "It was very _thoughtful_."

Michael grinned. "No problem."

XXXXXX

"But it hurts _really_ bad, Mom!" Dakota cried, clutching her stomach.

"That's why I'm taking you to Carson to get some painkillers," Mary said sympathetically. "C'mon, honey. The sooner we go, the sooner you'll feel better."

Dakota groaned in pain. "This is so _dumb_. Why does it have to happen to me?!"

"Honey, this may not seem like a good thing right now, but it means you'll be able to be a mother one day," she said, trying to be optimistic. "And that's a wonderful and miraculous thing."

Dakota rolled her eyes in spite of the pain. "Then why doesn't it just happen when I'm _ready_ to be a mother?" she wailed, her head still throbbing and her abdomen feeling like it was being twisted in two. "I'm only twelve!"

"Because this is just the way it works," Mary sighed, pushing her daughter out the door. She ran into Rodney, who quickly asked what was wrong when he saw the pain in Dakota's eyes. "She'll be fine," Mary answered. "It's just a woman thing." Not wanting to know any more details, Rodney stepped past her to enter their quarters. Mary stopped him with a soft, "Hey." He paused and looked back at her. "I'm sorry about earlier, Rodney," she mumbled guiltily. "You didn't deserve to be yelled at."

Rodney shrugged his acceptance of her apology and then watched as his wife and daughter quickly left for the infirmary. As he entered their quarters, he was a little curious about what was wrong with Dakota; the thought never entered his mind that it was the same "woman thing" that was up with Mary. Worrying aside, he had an hour until dinner and he fully intended to spend it napping. He frowned when he saw his other daughter standing by his bed, looking like she wanted something.

Tired and not wanting to deal with anything right now, he asked, "Why are you in here?"

Caitlyn's lip quivered for a moment and then she burst into tears.

Rodney stared at her in shock for several seconds before asking, "Catie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_!" she sobbed. "Why would anything be _wrong_? You're yelling at me!"

"Catie, I didn't yell, and there's no reason for you to be crying like an infant."

The tears started coming faster and she threw herself onto the bed. "I'm _not_ a baby!" she insisted in between sobs. "I can't help it! It's--It's this stupid becoming a woman thing!" She would have felt uncomfortable using the word "period" in front of her father.

Rodney sat down next to her and awkwardly patted her back. Caitlyn sat up almost immediately and threw her arms around her father's neck, continuing to sob. "Okay… Okay…" he said gently, unsure of what he should say or do.

"It's s-so stupid, Daddy!" she wailed.

Rodney patted her back some more. "It's not so bad, honey," he tried. "It'll be over in a week."

"A week?!" she cried. "Daddy, I won't last a whole week!" She hugged him tighter.

_'And neither will I with the __**three**__ of you acting completely batshit,'_ he thought miserably. When Caitlyn's crying showed no sign of stopping after another minute, Rodney thought of something that usually worked with Mary during this time. "Do you think chocolate will help?" he offered.

Caitlyn's sobbing quickly quieted and she sniffled. "Maybe…"

XXXXXX

Sunday morning, John helped Aiden prepare a breakfast-in-bed tray for Evie, like he had for the last several years. But after the boy left the mess hall to deliver it, John didn't see him or Evie for hours. That afternoon, intent on wooing his wife to his quarters for reasons other than just to give her the present he knew she'd love, he began looking for her. He'd searched nearly half the city before he found her.

"Shouldn't your child be doing laundry for you?" John asked as he walked into what had been designated years ago as a laundry room, complete with six washing machine and dryer sets.

"My child?" she repeated, pouring detergent into the open washing machine.

"It's Mother's Day," John said, as if the answer should have been obvious. "The ungrateful wretch should be letting you take it easy."

"Yes, well, the ungrateful wretch is on the mainland with Michael and Aaron doing outdoorsy things," she said as she closed the lid and reached to set the dial. She suddenly felt strong arms sliding around her waist and his low voice next to her ear.

"So you're all alone?" A kiss on her cheek. "With nothing to do?"

"All alone, yes," she answered, slipping out of his embrace to check on her load of clothes in the dryer. "But I _do_ need to finish my laundry…" When he caught her hand, she turned back to face him. "And besides… it's Mother's Day…"

"You're not _my_ mother…" he replied with a lustful gaze. He kissed her before she could protest and Evie had her arms around him a heartbeat later. She moaned wantonly as he pushed his tongue past her lips. She'd only dated one other man who could kiss as well as John, but her husband had learned much more quickly just what to do to drive her wild.

Wanting to drive up her need, he slid his fingers under the hem of her shirt and plastered his hands against her back. Whether because of the sinful things his mouth was doing with hers, or because his hands felt like a branding iron against her skin, she felt herself growing hot as she melted against him. She let her head fall back when he released her lips.

"Would you still rather do your laundry?" he breathed against her neck, then placed an open-mouthed kiss on her pulse-point.

Another moan. "What laundry?" she whispered, dragging her nails down his arm.

"s'what I thought…" he murmured before biting the side of her neck.

She let out a startled, "Oh!" and then began desperately trying to yank off her jacket, mumbling something about, "Too hot…too many clothes…"

"And if I was Colonel Norrington here to check on my load of underwear?" came Rodney's annoyed voice.

John and Evie separated like two cats who had been squirted with water.

"You two are unbelievable, you know that?" Rodney said, shaking his head, as he entered the laundry room.

"Why are you here?" John asked, trying to be patient.

"I'm doing laundry for Mary because I'm a nice husband," Rodney answered, holding up his sack full of dirty clothes.

"Well, we're trying to-- Look, would you just-- No, wait. Better idea." He turned toward Evie and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door. "Have fun with your laundry, Rodney," he called back.

"Yes, yes, and you with your…" He waved his hand absently. "Nevermind."

XXXXXX

"Careful, careful," Carson said. "You don't have to go so fast."

"I like fast," Lukas smiled. "Where are they?"

"When I called them on the radio, they were both in Rodney's lab, which is just down that hall," Carson pointed.

Lukas took off in the indicated direction and quietly remained just inside the door, waiting for them to notice him.

Elizabeth, Radek, and Rodney were arguing about something in the corner. Radek was the first to notice his son and he had to do a double-take. "_Prokristapána_," he breathed. "Elizabeth…"

Elizabeth followed her husband's line of sight and gasped at what she saw. Lukas had on two metal leg braces that came up to his waist, and he had a crutch attached to each arm. Now that he had their attention, he began slowly walking toward them, his grin big enough to light the room. "Oh, my God," Elizabeth whispered, tears quickly coming to her eyes.

When Lukas reached his parents he smiled up at them and said simply, "Happy Mother's Day, Mom."

Both parents were on their knees in an instant, hugging their son tightly and praising him in two different tongues. "Now you don't have to leave Atlantis," Lukas said, holding his parents close. "We can all stay."

Elizabeth couldn't keep her emotions in check anymore, and Rodney realized that this was the first time in all the years he'd known her that he'd ever seen her sob, happy tears or sad.

When Radek and Elizabeth had calmed their emotions down a few minutes later, she asked, "Lukas…how…?"

"I heard you and dad talking about leaving Atlantis because of me," he said worriedly.

Elizabeth and Radek exchanged looks. "We hadn't decided anything, sweetie," she said gently.

"But I didn't want us to have to leave, so I asked Dr. Beckett if there was _anything_ he could do for me." He glanced back at the doorway, where Carson was standing quietly, smiling at Lukas's success.

"Carson?" Elizabeth prompted.

"I've been working on a new drug similar to Tretonin for the last two years," Carson explained. "I finally got it right about three months ago and asked Radek if I could start Lukas on it."

Elizabeth turned to her husband. "You knew about this?"

"Elizabeth…" He looked a little sheepish. "It was the hundredth thing we'd tried, and I honestly did not think it would work…"

"Were there any risks to Lukas?"

"Of course not, _milá__č__ek_. If there had been, I would have talked with you about it," Radek assured her. "Besides, Lukas insisted that he wanted to surprise you."

Elizabeth was still a little upset that he hadn't told her about this, but she was too ecstatic about the results to be angry. She turned back to Carson, her eyes still shining with tears, and said, "Thank you, Carson. You have no idea--" She couldn't make it any farther than that, and so she hugged Lukas again.

"Are we going to stay, mom?" the boy asked worriedly.

Elizabeth smiled and another tear slipped down her cheek. "Yes, _drahoušek_. We'll stay."


	44. A Date to Remember Part I

**Fifteen Years Old - 2021**

_"Talked to my sister late last night, and she gave me some advice and what she said was right. Talked to my sister late last night. I said, "I've got her on my mind." She said, "It's good I know my kind. And maybe this time, maybe she's just the one you need. Keep taking your time, you shouldn't go for her full speed. And maybe this time, maybe she's just the one you need. 'Cause I know that I've never seen your motives more squeaky clean, and my 'Seventeen' magazine tells me that you're in love." - Relient K, "17 Magazine" _

"McKay, what the hell's taking so long?" Sheppard hollered over the din of machine-gun fire and Wraith weapon blasts.

"I'm working as fast as I can!" Rodney hollered back, frantically -- yet systematically -- pressing buttons on the Wraith console. "It's not like there's a big, red overload button labeled, 'Do not touch!'"

Teyla ducked as a deadly blast just barely missed her head. She then resumed her position and fired a dozen rounds into the Wraith soldier who had just shot at her. "We can not hold them off for very much longer!" she cried.

* * *

It was definitely a new sight for the SGC personnel to behold: eleven children crowed around two tables pushed together in the mess hall. Some were eating dinner; some were too worried to eat. 

"How do you think they're doing?" Aiden asked, poking at his steak and peas.

The youngest children looked up at him, their eyes fearful. No one answered, until Rachel finally spoke up. "I'm sure they're doing their best," she said, but her tone betrayed her uncertainty.

"I bet Colonel Sheppard's killed a lot of Wraith by now," Kyle piped up with a confident smile; he had inherited his father's ever-present optimism.

"I bet he's killed a thousand," Louie said.

"I bet he's killed a _million_!" Kyle countered.

"And my father has probably killed a billion," Terena grinned. "With his bare hands."

"Well, I bet _my_ dad's saving the day with brilliant science," Caitlyn interjected, the optimism apparently contagious.

"Yeah, and my dad's taking care of all the wounded," Rachel smiled.

"And my mom is telling the IOA to _vypadnout_," Lukas added with a grin.

Skylar reached under the table and squeezed her big brother's hand. She hoped _their_ parents were doing as well as everyone else believed theirs were.

* * *

"Just keep pressure on it, Michael. You'll be fine," Carson said as he prepared to remove the bullet from Michael's leg. 

Michael winced as he kept his hand over the gauze on the wound in his thigh. "You gotta hurry, doc," he said through clenched teeth. "I gotta get back out there and help…help my team…" He suddenly began to feel sluggish and he turned his head to see that Carson had just injected strong painkillers into his IV. "No, Carson! I gotta go…help…" He his head fell back onto the pillow and Carson placed his hand over the gauze, just as Michael's slipped off. "You've done your part, son. It's up t' the rest of 'em now."

* * *

While the rest of the children were watching the beginning of _Ocean's Nineteen_ in Stargate Command's multi-purpose room, Aiden poked Dakota and whispered for her to follow him over to one of the couches on the other side of the room. 

"What?" she asked when they sat down.

"Sorry. Did you really want to watch the movie?"

Dakota shrugged. "It won't be the same since George Clooney's dead."

Aiden nodded. "Okay. I don't really know who to talk to about this…so I picked you… 'Cause you're kind of my sister, right?"

"I guess. But if this is some icky boy problem, I don't wanna hear about it, half-sister or not."

Aiden smiled. "Don't worry, it's nothing like that. It's actually a _girl_ problem."

Dakota grinned. "You've got a crush on somebody!" she teased.

Aiden glanced back at the others furtively. "You swear you won't tell a soul?"

"I will take it to my grave," she grinned, leaning in closer.

Aiden seemed hesitant for a second; he'd never told anybody anything like this before.

"Well?" Dakota finally pressed.

Aiden bit his lip, then answered, "I wanna ask Rachel out."

* * *

"Sir, I've got a dart on my six!" McKenzie called over his radio as he attempted to outmaneuver the dart with his F-302. 

"Copy that, Captain," Lorne said, finding McKenzie's position on his screen. "Adams and I will take care of 'em."

McKenzie suddenly swore loudly. "Sir, I can't shake him!"

The dart began firing, and hit the wing of the 302 after a matter of seconds.

"I'm hit!" McKenzie cried, trying to regain control of his craft.

"We've almost got him in our sights, Captain," Lorne assured, the Wraith vessel nearly within his firing range.

His craft hurtling out of control and the dart still trying for a kill shot, McKenzie called to his CO, "Sir, you tell my wife-- Tell her I love her."

"None of that, Captain," Lorne ordered. "Just hold on a few more seconds…" He locked onto the dart and had his thumb over the button when McKenzie's F-302 exploded in a brilliant fireball. Lorne swore colorfully as he fired upon the dart, assuring that it suffered the same fate. "_Eros_, this is Lorne. We have lost McKenzie."

* * *

"I just… I don't know if she'd accept. Do you think she likes me like that?" Aiden asked nervously. 

"It's possible. You've got a lot of good qualities."

"Like what?"

"Well, you're a gentleman. You have that going for you," Dakota said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused as to what she meant by "gentleman."

"You're polite," she explained with a laugh. "Y'know, carrying stuff for girls, always saying 'yes ma'am' and 'no ma'am'. Things like that."

Aiden shrugged. "It's common courtesy."

Dakota nodded. "Your mom trained you well." Thinking for a moment, she asked, "Okay, if you wanted to take her out for a really awesome date, what would you have planned?"

"Gosh, I dunno…" Aiden thought hard. "What do you think she would like?"

"_Not_ anything to do with video games or sports or computers," she answered. "I mean, my sister would probably like something like that, but Rachel's more of a girly-girl, like me."

"Any suggestions of what I _should_ do, then?"

* * *

"I know you don't approve of every decision I have ever made, but the fact remains that there are over a hundred good people out there right now, fighting for their lives. And if you aren't going to support me, you had better support them, because if their defense of the city falls, where do you think the Wraith will come first?" 

"Dr. Weir, if you would calm down--"

"Do _not_ tell me to calm down," she said, managing not to yell at the weasel of a man who had replaced Richard Woolsey after his retirement. "I will calm down when this war is _over_. Right now, both _Eros_ and _Cerberus_ - as well as everyone in Atlantis - are engaged in battle with the Wraith. And for the first time, we may be in a position to eliminate the threat of them completely. Your dragging me back here to explain to you my past mistakes, and then telling me that you are considering doing away with the expedition altogether is not in any way contributing toward reaching that goal."

"But, Dr. Weir, I--"

"We are done here, Mr. Marsh. If you wish to talk to me after one side has been victorious, I will compliantly sit through whatever kind of interrogation you wish. Now, if you will excuse me, there are eleven children who could probably use some friendly company."

Marsh was speechless as Elizabeth stormed out the door.

* * *

"You're not seriously writing these down, are you?" Dakota asked with a giggle. 

"They're good ideas!" Aiden said, scribbling down her suggestions for dates Rachel would enjoy. "Okay, so far I've got: picnic, board games, going to the beach on the mainland, and taking her shopping. Hey, d'you think she'd rather go shopping here on Earth or on some alien planet?" He grinned.

"Ooh, definitely an alien planet. Write that down." She winked.

"I think this is enough to get me started," he said, folding up the paper and sticking it in his pocket. "Thanks, Koda." Aside from her father and mother, and occasionally her sister, Aiden was the only other person she allowed to call her that.

"You're welcome. So," she asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity, "when are you going to ask her?"

"Oh, I have to ask Carson first," Aiden replied.

"You…what?"

"It's something my mom taught me," he said with a smile. "It's respectful to both the girl and her parents. And it's also a good way to get points with her dad."

"Wow," Dakota said, impressed. "Your mom done good, Aiden."

* * *

Evie hadn't understood all the technobabble McKay had spewed in his explanation of how the Wraith had managed to beam in through the city's shield; she was just glad that the life signs detectors were working. She and Colonel Donovan had been following Summer (the only one of them who had the gene to make the life signs detector work) around their assigned section of the city for the last several hours, picking off the Wraith that they found. 

Summer suddenly held up her closed fist, and then motioned for them to crouch down. She pointed in alarm to at least fifteen life signs that would soon be coming around the corner. She placed a fresh magazine on her P-90 and said with determination, "This one's for Michael."

Evie nodded as the three of them took up strategic positions behind the large columns in the hallway. "Bring it on," she whispered.

* * *

When Lukas saw his mother coming over to the group of children lying on the floor in front of the large projection screen, he motioned her over to sit next to him. When she did, he climbed into her lap. He knew they were safe here on Earth, but he was still worried about his father and the rest of the people on Atlantis. "When will we know, Mom?" he asked quietly, laying his head against her chest. 

"Soon, _drahoušek_," she whispered and placed a kiss to his temple. "Soon."

* * *

His Satedan gun having run out of juice ten minutes ago, Ronon was now making short work of the Wraith with his sword. He was having little trouble, until a particularly large Wraith pulled out a sword of his own. 

John didn't understand why the Wraith _he_ was fighting didn't turn and help its friend out, shooting or stunning Ronon, but he pushed that thought aside as he emptied what little ammo was left into another Wraith soldier.

"I--I think I got it!" McKay cried.

"Are you sure?" John asked.

"Yes, yes!" Rodney shouted as a Wraith alarm began blaring.

Ronon cried out in pain as the Wraith finally got the advantage and hacked off the Satedan's hand in a single blow.

The severed hand landed a few feet away from Teyla, its disembodied fingers still clutching the large sword.

"_Cerberus_, this is McKay! The sabotage is complete. Beam us out _now_!"

Feeling the familiar sensation of Asgard beaming technology starting to envelop her body, Teyla managed to reach out and grab Ronon's detached hand before she was beamed away.

As soon as the team was successfully beamed onto the bridge, Rodney ordered, "We need to get out of here _now_!"

"What about the other hi--"

"The blast will take care of all three ships, now go!"

Colonel Norrington nodded to the captain and said over his radio, "Attention, _Eros_ and any remaining 302s, this is _Cerberus_. We need to open a hyperspace window and get out of here immediately!"

"Roger that, _Cerberus_," came several responses.

"We're damn lucky we found that ZPM, Colonel," came a report from the engine room once they had successfully made the small hyperspace jump, "or we'd never have made it. Everything looks good."

"Thank you, Captain," Norrington said. It was then that he noticed Ronon clutching the bleeding stump of his hand. "Medical team to the bridge immediately!" he called into his radio.

"Carson will be able to reattach this, will he not?" Teyla asked worriedly, still holding Ronon's severed hand.

"If we get him back in time," John answered.

"First we've got to make sure that that blast took care of all the hives," Norrington said.

"I just told you it--"

"I'm sure it did, Doctor. I'd just like to see for myself."

XXXXXX

After fighting for nearly eleven hours, those left alive in Atlantis were relieved beyond words to hear the voice of Colonel Norrington over their radios. "Atlantis, this is _Cerberus_. The remaining hives and darts have been destroyed. We are ready to beam down fresh Marines to help secure the rest of the city."

A cheer arose, and hope was renewed as at least fifty ready-to-fight Marines were beamed down throughout the city. They were going to win this fight.

* * *

"Dr. Weir, report to the Control Room," Walter's voice came over the intercom. 

Elizabeth looked up from where she was sitting on the floor, Lukas still in her lap. "I'll be back in a little bit," she said, kissing his forehead and gently setting him down beside her.

She hurried down the hall into the Control Room and said, "What is it?"

"Transmission for you, ma'am," Walter said, pointing to the screen overhead and nodding for her to proceed.

"This is Weir. Go ahead."

Marcus Lorne stepped into view on the screen. Tears were trickling down his face. "We did it, ma'am. All the hive ships, all the darts, all the Wraith that had infested the city… We got 'em all, ma'am."

Elizabeth let out a shaky breath, and had to lean on the back of Walter's chair for support. "You mean they're…"

"Gone, ma'am," he said with a tearful smile. "Every last Wraith in the galaxy."

Elizabeth felt tears of her own start to fall. "How… How many casualties?"

"We're not sure yet, ma'am. But there's quite a few confirmed so far."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm sure everyone here will be pleased to hear of the defeat of the Wraith," she said, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Yes, ma'am. We'll let you know when it's safe for you to return with the children."

"Thank you, Colonel."

"You're welcome, ma'am. Lorne out."


	45. A Date to Remember Part II

**Fifteen Years Old - 2021**

_"Maybe I'm just lucky 'cause it's hard to believe that somebody like you'd end up with someone like me. And I know that it's so cliché to talk about you this way, but I'll push all my inhibitions aside. It's so very obvious to everyone watching us that we have got something real good going on. And I'm racking my brain for a new improved way to let you know you're more to me than what I know how to say. You're okay with the way this is going to be, 'cause this is going to be the best thing we've ever seen." - Relient K, "Must Have Done Something Right"_

They hadn't actually gotten every single Wraith - the four hives that had attacked were the joined forces of what was left of the species, but there were probably still some left on various planets and the odd Wraith here or there could still terrorize towns and villages - but the scattered remnant wasn't anything some gutsy villagers with pitchforks couldn't handle. At long last, the most terrifying menace in Pegasus was no longer any threat.

Five days after the final victory over the Wraith, Elizabeth was able to bring the children home. It had taken that long to dispose of the Wraith corpses, clean away the blood that stained the city, and properly take care of the dead. Thirty-one members had given their lives in the final fight and Atlantis had mourned them on the second day, before sending their bodies back to Earth to be claimed by their families.

Unable to find his mother on his return to the city, Aiden quickly attached himself to Sheppard. When John was finally able to get a straight answer from somebody regarding Evie's whereabouts, he took Aiden down to the infirmary. He was a little worried himself. He hadn't heard anything about her being injured, but he hadn't had time to see her since the attack, and if she was still in the infirmary after five days…

Both John and Aiden were immensely relieved when they entered the infirmary and found Evie on the inversion table, with only a few scratches and her arm bandaged. "Having fun?" John asked.

Evie opened her eyes and tilted her head back to see who was standing upside-down in front of her. She smiled when she saw her husband and son. "Yes, sir. Inversion tables are the best."

John nodded and crossed his arms casually. "And just what did you do to merit this upside-down time? And what happened to your hand?"

"I got blowed up," she answered, holding up her bandaged arm.

"Sounds painful."

"It was, sir. The fire burned my arm all the way up to my elbow, and the explosion threw me against the wall, and it knocked my spine outta whack."

"That the technical term?"

"It is. I've been so busy since the battle, I've only just now had time to straighten it out."

"Evie, how many times have you hurt that arm?" John asked, shaking his head.

"…Five?" she guessed.

"Mmhmm. So reckless."

"I'll try not to get blown up next time, sir."

John smiled, then pointed at Aiden. "Look who I found."

"Hey, honey. How was Earth?"

Aiden shrugged. "Fine. But it's not home," he answered. When she smiled, he added with a heartfelt expression, "I'm glad you're okay, Mom."

"I was one of the lucky ones," she said, sadness entering her eyes.

Aiden looked down. He'd been close to some of the fallen personnel, too. "Do you know where Carson's at?" he asked a moment later.

"He'd been up for over sixty hours, the poor man," Evie said, then let out a pleased sigh as her vertebrae finally snapped back into alignment. "Laura finally had Dr. Biro inject him with a sedative before he could collapse from exhaustion."

"Let me know when he's back," Aiden said as Evie slowly lowered her hands to her sides, causing the table to level out so it was once again parallel to the floor.

"You need something from him?" she asked.

"I need to ask him something," Aiden answered with a secretive smile.

Evie gave him a suspicious look, but let it slide. "Dr. Biro said he should be out for at least twenty-four hours. And he needs it, too."

Aiden nodded. "Let me know when I can talk to him."

"Will do," Evie replied.

"I guess I'll see you at dinner, Mom," Aiden said, then left the infirmary.

Evie shifted her weight so that the table inverted again, but this time so that she was right-side up. She leaned down and began unfastening the restraints on her feet. John stepped forward and offered his hand so that she wouldn't trip while trying to climb off the contraption. As soon as her feet were on the ground, she threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered.

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her tightly. "s'good to see you safe, too," he murmured back, kissing her cheek.

"So many casualty reports were coming in from the in-air fighting… Every time a new one started to come in, I'd worry it was you…" Her fingers tightly gripped his jacket and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I worried about you, too…" He raised a hand and began gently stroking her head, as he always did to calm her. "Thank God it's over," he said quietly.

XXXXXX

"--and I wanted your permission to date Rachel." Aiden didn't think he had ever felt this nervous in his entire life.

Carson looked incredibly surprised. "Well…" he started. "I, uh… I suppose ya can… But you have to promise to treat her right."

"I promise, Carson."

"And you're to keep your hands to yourself," he warned, as sternly as Carson could. "The only time you're to be touchin' her is if she wants to hold hands."

Aiden nodded.

"And if Rachel tells me that you tried anything you shouldnae… Let's just say that I will find creative, new uses for the sharp tools in my medical kit." Aiden's eyes widened and Carson began chuckling. "I'm teasin', son," he smiled. "Mostly."

Aiden nodded slowly.

"Now, what attracted you to my daughter?" Carson asked, changing aspects of the conversation.

"What?"

"I'm just wonderin' what it is you like about her?" the doctor explained.

"Oh." Aiden thought for a minute. "Well, she's pretty. But that's not the only reason I like her. She's really…sweet, you know? And she can be really funny, too. And we have some common interests."

Carson nodded. "Well, I think you've passed. You have my permission to ask her out."

Aiden grinned and hugged the kind doctor. "Thanks, Carson!"

XXXXXX

_"Don't be nervous. The worst she can do is say 'no'. And she won't." _

The conversation Aiden had recently had with John was replaying in his head as he prepared to ask Rachel out.

_"Be confident and whatever you do, don't stutter. Start out with a compliment so she knows you really like her."_

"That pink shirt is a really good color for you," Aiden said as they sat on the couches in the rec room, watching Aaron and Caitlyn play a video game.

"Thanks," Rachel said with a smile.

"And you look really pretty when you smile."

Rachel blushed and looked down at her lap, feeling a little awkward.

_"But don't go overboard and make her uncomfortable."_

Oops. "Rachel, I know we've been friends since diapers, and if friends is all you want, then that's fine, but…"

_"Don't beat around the bush. Just ask her. But don't say 'please' or you'll sound like you're begging." _

"I really like you, Rachel." He paused for a moment as she looked back up at him, meeting his eyes. "Would you go out with me?"

Rachel just stared at him for a moment, as if trying to determine if he was seriously asking her. Then her face broke into a smile. "I would like that, Aiden," she said softly, actually batting her eyelashes a little.

Aiden grinned.

"But I don't know if my parents will--"

"I already asked your Dad," Aiden interrupted. "And he gave me his permission."

Rachel smiled at him adoringly. "I thought guys only asked for the dad's permission in movies," she said.

"Guys only ask when they care about starting off the relationship right," he corrected.

_"If she says yes, that doesn't mean you can immediately be all over her. If you think she'd be open to it, you're allowed to hold her hand at this point, but nothing else yet." _

When Rachel returned her attention to watching Aaron and Caitlyn, she uncrossed her arms and rested the one closest to Aiden on her knee.

Taking that to be an invitation, Aiden reached over and slipped his hand into hers. This time it was his mother's words he was thinking of. _"I know it sounds stupid, but holding hands with your fingers interlaced really is more intimate than just holding hands. Neither of you have dated before, so give it a day or two. You always want to start out slow."_

Aiden smiled as Rachel laughed at Caitlyn's character kicking Aaron's character's butt. The only problem he had now was deciding what to do for their first date.

XXXXXX

While Carson really did trust both Rachel and Aiden, he asked that their first date not be a one-on-one situation. So the young couple merely played board games with the rest of the children Tuesday evening. It wasn't romantic, granted, but it was fun. And truth be told, Aiden wasn't quite sure _how_ to be romantic, or if Rachel even wanted him to try.

Friday night, after getting an idea from Dakota, and then getting approval from Carson, and then convincing John to beg Elizabeth for permission, Aiden asked Rachel if she would like to accompany him on a picnic to Trevahlea. A security team had swept the clearing by the lake that Aiden had picked out, their dinner had been packed by Laura, and an SF had been selected to accompany them.

Once the two of them were on the planet, they convinced the guard to stay by the Gate, promising to take a radio, and then they dashed off out of sight.

Having finished his dessert, Aiden found himself just watching Rachel as she ate her chocolate-drizzled ice cream. She had pale skin and delicate features, and he loved the way her blue eyes shone when she laughed. He noted with another lingering glance that she definitely had her father's eyes. Aiden had never paid much attention to the way she looked when they were younger, but somewhere between reading those girly, pre-teen mystery books and playing paintball, Rachel had started developing curves and, in Aiden's opinion, getting prettier. She must have also thought Aiden was someone worthy of impressing, because it hadn't taken him long to notice that she had done up her strawberry-blonde hair in a very becoming hairstyle, rather than just wearing it down as she normally did.

Rachel stared at her ice cream, trying to pretend that she didn't notice him staring at her. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she thought Aiden was very cute. Well, she didn't think "cute" was quite the right word, but she didn't like the way "sexy" sounded. Whatever the adjective, Rachel was attracted to his boyish charm and his great smile that reminded her of Colonel Sheppard for some reason. And on a less superficial level, she was drawn to his sense of humor(except when he decided to play a practical joke on her), and his way of making even some pretty boring things interesting(or at least amusing). She knew he got that from his mother.

Having finished her ice cream while pondering these things, she wondered what it was that attracted _him_ to _her_. She put her bowl back in the basket and reached for a blade of grass. "So…why did you ask me out?" she asked shyly, twiddling the piece of grass between her fingers.

"Because I like you," Aiden said, putting away the last of their food.

Rachel smiled. "I know that. But _why_ do you like me? What's so special about me that you didn't choose Skylar or somebody?"

"'Or somebody'?" he repeated. "Dakota and Caitlyn are, like, my half-sisters and Jamie is way too young for me. And, plus, Skylar's like my little sister, too."

"So, you're saying it was me or nothing?" Rachel concluded teasingly. "Wow, I feel special…"

Aiden shook his head. "I like you because you're funny, and you're smart and beautiful, and we like some of the same things. Especially movies and music."

"Oh! I heard The Torondian Five are having a concert next week," Rachel said excitedly. "I'll ask Uncle Michael if he can record it while he's on Toronda and we can listen to it together."

Aiden nodded. "Cool." There was a moment of slightly-awkward silence; they hadn't gotten to the point in their dating relationship where pauses were comfortable for either one of them. Taking her hand, he asked, "So, fair's fair… Why'd you say yes?"

"I've had a little bit of a crush on you for a while, Aiden," she said, blushing. "But I was too shy to say anything about it. You may not be the smartest guy in the class, but you can _always_ make me laugh. And…you're just fun to be around. Like when we played games until 2 AM on Tuesday with Aaron and Skylar."

Aiden smiled.

XXXXXX

"I never should have agreed to let them go off-world," Carson said apprehensively.

"Don't they have an SF accompanying them?" Chuck asked, knowing that the children would never be allowed off-world alone -- even to a completely uninhabited planet.

"Aye. But knowing the two of them, they ran off somewhere and left the poor man at the Gate."

Chuck smiled. "I'm sure they're fine, Carson."

"But they're _late_!" Carson explained, starting to pace back and forth behind Chuck's chair. "And now I'm going into protective father mode and horrible scenarios are playing in my mind. She's been kidnapped… She's dead… Or _worse_! She's making out with that boy!"

"I assume you're referring to my son?" Evie asked, walking into the Control Room and catching the tail end of the conversation.

"They're twenty minutes late!" Carson answered worriedly.

Evie chuckled. "Carson, relax. This is their _second_ date," she said with a smile. "I highly doubt they're _doing_ anything."

"With the characteristics Aiden's inherited, I'm not too sure…"

Chuck gave Carson an odd look. "Inherited from who?"

"I wasna talking to you, son," Carson replied, hastily trying to cover his slip.

Suddenly, the Stargate activated.

"Oh, that had better be them," Carson said, looking over Chuck's shoulder anxiously.

A few seconds after the Gate kawooshed, Chuck smiled and nodded. He lowered the shield and a moment later, Rachel and Aiden emerged from the shining puddle, laughing, with the SF following seconds later. Chuck reached to shut down the Gate, but Evie stopped him.

"Ah, ah," she said with a grin. "Wait for it." A minute later Ronon materialized through the event horizon.

"Ronon?" Aiden asked in surprise. "What were you doing there?"

When she saw her father quickly descending the stairs with a frown, Rachel cried, "Daddy, did you send Ronon to spy on us?!"

"Mr. Brooks, would you please explain why you are late bringing my daughter home?" Carson asked, obviously _trying_ to be patient.

"We just lost track of time, Carson," Aiden answered with a carefree air.

"I should hate to think it was because there was any hanky-panky involved," Carson said sternly.

"Nothing _happened_, Daddy," Rachel insisted, blushing when she saw Evie and Chuck joining them as well. (Chuck had come to get the borrowed GDO back from the SF, but found himself watching the conversation with interest.)

Carson and Evie looked over at the Satedan. "Ronon?" prompted Carson.

The big man looked at the young couple and smirked. "He kissed her."

"Rachel!"

"Ronon!"

"Aiden!"

"Ronon!"

"Daddy!"

"Donkey!"

Evie and Carson got the joke, but didn't laugh, while Rachel, Aiden, and Ronon just turned to stare confusedly at Chuck.

Realizing that the quote was from about sixteen years before the children's time, Chuck said, "Sorry…old movie. Just trying to ease the tension…" There was a moment of awkward silence, then Chuck turned to the SF, took the GDO, and quickly made his way back up the stairs.

Evie shook her head. While she thought a second date was a little soon for kissing, she wasn't going to press the matter.

But Carson was.

"You _kissed_ her?" he repeated, trying his best to be intimidating. "Did ya force it on her?" he demanded.

"I'm not a caveman, Carson," Aiden replied. "I asked her if I could."

Carson looked to Ronon again, and the big man nodded.

Evie felt a surge of pride that Aiden had actually taken to heart some of the things she'd taught him.

"Well. Alright, then." He looked like he was about to back off, but then asked quickly, "Just the one kiss, and that was it?"

"Yes, Daddy," Rachel said. "He was a perfect gentleman, I promise."

A final nod from Ronon seemed to satisfy Carson, who let out a little relieved sigh and said, "A'right… Thank you, Aiden. Now you two run along."

Rachel and Aiden smiled, and the boy replied, "Thanks, doc," as they turned to leave.


	46. Thanks for the Memories

**Author's Note 1:** Very, very hugely big spoilers for the movie "Derailed".

**Author's Note 2:** Cookies to anyone who spots the two TV show references. :D

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* * *

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**Fifteen Years - 2021**

_"You'll hold this world's most priceless thing. The greatest gift this life can bring is when you look back and know you were loved You were loved by someone, touched by someone, held by someone, meant something to someone, loved somebody, touched somebody's heart along the way. You can look back and say you were loved." - Wynonna Judd, "You Were Loved" _

Waiting for her husband to return to the table with his lunchtime dessert, Laura looked over at where her daughter was sitting with Aiden. The two teenagers had finished their lunch and were now talking and laughing.

Turning back to Evie, Laura asked with a smile, "You remember when they were little?"

Evie smiled, too. "They always did get along so well, didn't they?" Suddenly she laughed. "I remember one time -- Rachel couldn't have been one yet -- and she hit her head on a table leg while I was watching her. When she started crying and I held her in my lap, Aiden toddled over and gave her a great big hug and said, 'Iss otay, baby Wacha', iss otay.'"

"Aww," Laura cooed with a smile. "Well, I remember when he was going through his running-around-naked phase…" Both women giggled. "Carson was watching him while you were off-world, and as he was trying to get him dressed after a bath, Aiden just took off out the door! I was talking to Rodney outside his lab and Aiden came running over to us with Carson panting just a few feet behind. He snatched him up and threw him over his shoulder so Aiden wouldn't wiggle down and huffed, 'I've been chasin' this wee naked child over hell and over dayel!'" Evie laughed as Laura imitated her husband's thick accent.

"Are you two ladies talkin' about me?" Carson asked, returning to his chair next to Laura and digging into his large bowl of ice cream.

"We're reminiscing about when Aiden and Rachel were little," Laura answered with a smile.

"_You_ remember how he had a bit of a naked phase," Evie grinned.

"Lord, do I ever," Carson said and then began laughing heartily. "But m'darling hasn't told you the _whole_ story about Aiden running out on me. Before he ran out the door, I was a-dryin' him off an--"

Aiden interrupted the lively conversation by asking, "Hey, Mom, can me and Rachel and Aaron go play paintball on the mainland?"

"Please?" Rachel chimed in. "Terena asked us to teach her."

Evie held her hand up. "Just a minute, Aiden. Carson's finishing his story." She grinned. "It's about you."

Aiden raised an eyebrow curiously and was quiet as Carson continued.

"So as I was drying him off, Rachel ran in asking for something… I cannae remember now what it was. Anyways, when I went to dress him, he was a-touchin' himself, so I said simply, 'Yes, that's your penis, now leave it alone.'" At this, Aiden and Rachel looked horrified. But Carson hadn't gotten to the punch line yet. "Then littl' Rachel gave me a confused look and said, 'But, Daddy, Aiden doesn't have any peanuts…'" Carson, Laura, and Evie burst into loud laughter, ignoring Rachel's embarrassed cry of "Daddy!"

Aiden was failing at fighting the blush in his cheeks. "Uhh, so… Rachel, how about some paintball?" he said, taking her hand and pulling her away from the table.

"That boy is trouble," Carson teased, shaking his head as he watched the youth run off with his daughter.

"Oh, please," Laura said. "He's not much worse than you."

"If I was a young man and I was courting you, I guarantee I wouldna been late in bringing you home to your father," Carson insisted.

Laura raised an eyebrow. "Do you _remember_ our first date, Carson?"

"When you kissed me with Rodney's sloppy lips? Yes, though I'd like to forget it…"

Evie and Laura giggled. "No, you goof," his wife replied. "I mean our first _real_ date."

"What'd he do?" Evie asked, interested in hearing how _Carson_ could possibly have been naughty.

"He copped a feel," Laura answered with a smirk.

"I've told ya a thousand times!" Carson cried. "I tripped!"

"Oh, that's right," his wife said with dripping sarcasm. "My bad. He tripped. And rather than reach for my hand to steady himself, he grabbed my chest."

"I didna grab it and it wasna on purpose!" Carson insisted, crossing his arms.

The women laughed and Laura loved the light blush creeping into her husband's cheeks. Whether the good doctor had truly meant to feel Laura's breast that night or not, he had accidentally slipped up on things the whole evening…

_"So, you've never read it before?" _

_"No, I'm really not much of a reader," Laura answered over dessert with Carson. "I mean, if the author's good and the plot is intri-- Okay, Carson, my eyes are __**here**__," she said, pointing to her face. "Not here." Now she pointed at her breasts. _

_"Aye, dear. You don't have to be a physician to see that," Carson replied, not understanding her point. _

_"Well, then look at my eyes when I talk to you," she requested with an amused smile. "That's the second time I've caught you staring." _

_"I wasna staring," he said quickly. _

_"Yeah, you were." _

_"I most certainly was not," he maintained, crossing his arms. _

_"You already grabbed me, Carson. Just admit you were staring." _

_"I didna mean to touch you, Laura! I already told you, I tripped." _

_Laura sighed and took another bite of pie. "Fine. Whatever. Anyways… If I can ever get really into a book, I enjoy reading. I just haven't found any decent books lately." _

_"Well, then you simply __**must**__ read this one," Carson said with a broad smile. "It's excellent. I have it in my quarters if you'd like to borrow it." _

_Laura chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'll read it. Will that make you happy?" _

_"Oh, just being with you makes me happy, m'dear," he replied with his sweet smile. _

_When they reached his quarters, Laura had to smile adoringly at the Scotsman as, like a true gentleman, Carson left the door open to ensure that his motives for bringing her to his place weren't questionable. Instead of handing her a book, however, Carson retrieved a small, rectangular package wrapped in colorful paper. _

_"Happy Birthday, Laura, m'dear," he said as he handed the gift to her. _

_A surprised but pleased expression lit up the Marine's face. "How'd you know?" she asked as she ran her fingers over the slick wrapping paper. _

_"Oh, I have my ways," Carson replied. _

_"You mean you checked my medical file," Laura said with a smirk, starting to tear off the paper. A delighted grin spread across her face when the now-shredded paper parted to reveal the hit DVD __**Fight Club**__. "Oh, my gosh! This is one of my __**favorite**__ movies, Carson!" she exclaimed. "Now I know __**this **__wasn't in my medical file," she teased. "So, how'd you know?" _

_"I have my ways," he repeated with a smile. "You like it?" _

_"I love it," she grinned. "Thank you." Setting her gift on the table, she pulled him in for a steamy kiss. _

_It only took about four seconds of the heated embrace for poor, sweet Carson's mind to go places he didn't mean for it to go. Unfortunately, his ATA gene mistook this for its cue and dimmed the lights. When Laura heard the door whoosh shut, she gently pushed the doctor back. "And just what do you think you're doing, Carson Beckett?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. _

_"I didna mean to!" he cried ordering the lights back on. "Honest! It's this bloody gene! I'm sorry, love. Really, I am." _

_Laura laughed. "Just don't let it happen again," she teased and Carson nodded his head emphatically. "So," she said after a pause. "You wanna watch this with me?" _

_Carson smiled and nodded again… _

XXXXXX

When most couples go to a movie together, they sit by each other. Not so with John and Evie. The new batch of scientists that had arrived earlier that week were having a movie night in an attempt to prove to the military members of the expedition that they weren't _completely_ "uncool." Rodney -- who was too sick to attend -- had suggested that John go. They were showing the movie _Derailed_, and Rodney said that he had found it entertaining when he had seen it several years ago. John had then passed on the invitation to Evie, who agreed to go. Not wanting to draw attention to themselves, the two sat on different rows of chairs.

While the movie had started out slightly boring, it soon picked up speed. Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston sure didn't waste much time in deciding what they wanted, forgetting their spouses for a night and renting a room in a cheap motel. Evie sighed. She generally wasn't a big fan of movies with sex scenes, but supposed she could endure it, as she had heard several good comments about the film.

Things suddenly got more interesting as a man with a gun stopped their affair before it could begin. When Jennifer jumped back on the bed, her curvy bust barely covered by a revealing camisole, Evie leaned forward to see if John was staring. He was. And smiling appreciatively like a dope. She'd smack him for that later, she decided as she slouched back into her chair.

When the villain started looking lasciviously at Jennifer Aniston and making comments about how "fine" she was, an uneasy feeling settled over Evie. She had forgotten to ask what the movie was rated and why, and now the gunman was beating Clive unconscious and using a vulgar term to say what he intended to do to Jennifer. Evie bit her lip and glanced over at John, who didn't seem fazed. Evie tried to think happy thoughts, such as Clive Owen overpowering and killing the bad guy. Then Jennifer ran for the door and Evie sighed in relief. There were certain memories that she just didn't want to relive…

Unfortunately, the intruder grabbed Jennifer and threw her back onto the bed; Aniston's resulting tears and whimpers triggered the memories that Evie had fought so hard to forget. Not wanting to disturb anyone or draw attention to the fact that she was moments away from crying herself, she just shut her eyes tightly. This did little to hide what was happening on the screen as there was the sound of cloth ripping and Jennifer screaming.

When Jennifer began crying and begging, "Please, no," _John's_ suppressed memories were finally triggered and he suddenly realized that this scene was probably affecting Evie badly. He turned around and saw her hugging her knees to her chest, tears trickling from the corners of her tightly shut eyes. He looked down, at a loss for what to do. A few seconds later he stood up, hoping that by the time he reached her seat he'd have come up with some excuse to leave with her. Thankfully, one of the new scientists sitting next to her finally noticed Evie's distress and gently nudged her.

"You okay, ma'am?" the young man whispered.

"Don't feel well," Evie mumbled, wiping her eyes.

"You might have that bug McKay brought back from Eladin," John said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Probably, sir," she whispered, nodding.

"Would you like me to take you back to your quarters, Major?"

Evie nodded again and quickly stood up, allowing John to lead her out of the room. She managed to keep her emotions in check until they got to her quarters, where she began crying again.

As soon as the door was shut, John gently took her hands in his, not knowing what she wanted from him at that point. "Evie, I am _so_ sorry. I didn't know-- Are you okay?"

She dropped his hands. "Do I look okay?" she frowned, wiping her eyes.

"No. Sorry. Stupid question."

Evie sniffled and looked down. "I-it was so real… Her screams, his voice… Agh, the memories… I mean, he even looked like--" She abruptly covered her mouth with her hand and turned and ran into the bathroom. John quickly followed and watched sadly as she vomited into the toilet. Then he filled her a glass of water, which he handed her when she collapsed against the wall a minute later.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she sipped it. Then she tugged on his pantleg, prompting him to sit down next to her.

Gently kissing her temple, John asked, "You gonna be alright?"

"I guess… Hold me?" she asked after a pause.

He smiled lovingly and nodded, pulling her into his lap.

Evie sighed heavily as she lay her head on John's chest. "_Rodney_ said that we'd like it?" she asked in disbelief.

"No, Rodney said he thought _I_ might like it," John said. "I'm sure he wouldn't have recommended it if he thought I was going to ask you to join me; he knows…"

Evie nodded and snuggled deeper into her husband's embrace. Hadn't _that_ been a fun day those few years ago? Poor Rodney; he hadn't known about Evie's situation when he'd started bugging her…

_"Anyhow, that was my opinion on the subject. What are your thoughts?" Rodney asked Evie, the only person left at his breakfast table. Evie wasn't listening, however. She was staring off into space, holding a spoonful of Fruit Loops aloft and seemingly deep in thought. _

_"Hello?" He leaned over and stared at her. "Earth to Evie," he said, placing a hand on her arm and shaking her. _

_Snapping out of her thoughts, Evie realized that Rodney was in her personal space. She quickly knocked his hand off her and pushed him back with a frown. _

_"What is up with you?" Rodney asked, turning his chair slightly so that he was facing her. "You've been acting like a hominophobe for days…" _

_Evie looked confused. "A what?" _

_"Someone who's afraid of men," he explained. "You and lover-boy have a fight or something?" he asked, playfully nudging her shoulder. When she again jerked away from the contact, Rodney pointed at her and cried, "See!" _

_Evie looked down. "Rodney, please… Just…just leave it," she said quietly. _

_"Ah, but now you've got me curious, see?" he said with his I'm-so-going-to-figure-this-out smile. "You're the one who's always nudging or poking me, and now I can't even touch you…" He poked her side to demonstrate his point and Evie slapped his hand a lot harder than she meant to. _

_"Ow! All I di--" _

_"McKay, what the hell are you doing?" _

_Rodney's head whirled around when he heard the familiar growl of his team leader. "I didn't do anything!" he assured John when he saw the angry look on the other man's face. "All I did was poke her, I swear." _

_"Stay the hell away from her," John ordered. _

_Rodney's face contorted into that expression which reminded Evie of a confused puppy. Then he looked from the very cross colonel to the captain, who was studying her cereal and looking miserable. Slowly Rodney's expression faded to a somber one. "I'm missing something important here…aren't I?" _

_After a minute of awkward silence, Evie said, "I think I'll go see what Aiden's doing," and left quickly. _

_John watched his wife go, then shot McKay a dirty look. "Rodney, sometimes you can be a real idiot." _

_Rodney sighed in frustration. "You wanna fill me in on what's going on, because I don--" _

_"You remember that incident a few weeks ago? With Marshala?" _

_Rodney nodded. "What about it?" _

_Involuntarily clenching his fists at the memories that resurfaced, John answered bitterly, "That bastard didn't have her there to make tea, McKay…" _

_Rodney just blinked at him for a minute, and then it was obvious the light bulb went on. "Oh!" Now feeling terrible for bugging Evie about it, he stammered for a minute, then finally managed, "I had no idea… I'm sorry…" _

_Still glaring harshly at the scientist, John said, "We're leaving in ten," and then stormily left the mess hall…_

XXXXXX

"Now, just hold still and concentrate on it!" Rodney ordered exasperatedly.

"I _am_ con-cen-tra-ting," Kyle said, long past bored. Kyle was the only Murphy child to have inherited Summer's ATA gene, and Radek and Rodney were interested to see how much the effect had attenuated from one generation to the next. They had tried once or twice with Aiden, but Radek said that he wanted data from someone who possessed the gene through generations of natural inheritance. (As Radek didn't know that John was Aiden's father, he assumed that the boy had gotten his gene from Rodney, who had received the gene therapy.)

Unfortunately, Kyle wasn't a very patient subject. "Would you sit _still_?!" Rodney cried again, when Kyle began spinning in the chair. "My _gosh_… Can you say 'Attention Deficit Disorder'?" he muttered.

"Attention Deficit Disorder," Kyle parroted with a grin.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "If you be a good boy and make this work, I'll… I'll get you ice cream! How does that sound?"

Radek rolled his eyes.

"You promise?" Kyle asked, his dark brown eyes shining expectantly.

"_If_ you make this work," Rodney said, nodding.

Kyle grinned. Then he shut his eyes and made a face. The small device in Rodney's hand immediately began blinking and beeping. When Kyle heard the apparatus turn on, he opened his eyes and jumped off the chair. "C'mon," he said, tugging on Rodney's hand. "You promised!"

Rodney looked over at Radek pleadingly.

"You did promise him, McKay." Radek smirked. "Why don't you leave that with me?" he asked, nodding at the gadget.

Rodney muttered something under his breath and reluctantly handed the gizmo to the Czech. He was then dragged out of the room by the very eager nine-year-old. _'Little twit probably could have turned it on as soon as he saw it,'_ Rodney grumbled in his mind. _'He just __**loves**__ to bug me.'_ And indeed, Kyle always _had_ had a knack for pushing McKay's buttons. As he was pulled into the mess hall, Rodney remembered when little Kyle had first discovered what his Ancient gene could do…

_"Da na na na na na!" As soon as Rodney heard the little voice, the lights in his lab went off. Rodney commanded them back on, but they immediately turned off again. Rodney sighed. He did __**not**__ want to have another light-switch war right now. _

_"Kyle, leave the lights on," he ordered with obvious annoyance as he commanded the lights on once again. _

_"I'm not Kyle, I'm Superman!" Kyle announced, snapping the waistband of his Superman underwear, which he wore over his pants. "I've even got a cape, so I can fly!" He stuck his arms out to the side like an airplane and began running around Rodney's lab, the towel tied around his neck flowing out behind him. _

_"What do you want?" Rodney asked, returning to what he was trying to work on. _

_"I missed you, Unca Rodney," Kyle answered, stopping beside the scientist. _

_"Missed me?" Rodney repeated, looking down at the little pest. "What'd you throw at me?" _

_Kyle giggled. "No, I missed __**seeing**__ you!" _

_"Oh. Well… I'm busy right now." _

_The boy put his hands on his hips and turned off the lights again. _

_Rodney scowled and tried to turn them back on again, but apparently Kyle had stronger control than McKay did, because the lights stayed off. "Kyle Eric Murphy, you turn those lights back on right now!" he demanded, still trying to override the child's control. _

_"Or what?" Kyle asked with a giggle. _

_"Or I'm going to…to…take your teddy bear!" _

_"__**I**__ don't sleep with a teddy bear," Kyle said proudly. "But Aaron does." He giggled again. Suddenly, he had an idea. He relinquished control of the lights and they immediately came on. Before Rodney had a chance to throw the ragamuffin out of his lab, Kyle turned on the small data device on the table across the room. _

_"Stop that!" Rodney cried, reaching out to try to grab the boy. Kyle quickly ducked under Rodney's arm and began running around the lab, turning on everything he saw that he thought might respond to his "superpower", as he called it. _

_"Stop turning things on, you litt--" The insult was cut off when Rodney saw that Kyle had activated the small weapon that he had been working on when this all began. "No, not that! It's gonna-- Ahh!" Rodney cried out in pain as the small "whatchamacallit" zapped him with a fair-grade electrical shock. _

_Kyle gasped. "I'm sorry, Unca Rodney!" he said earnestly. "I'm sorry!" When he saw Rodney's furious expression, he ran out the door. _

_"That's right! You'd better run!" Rodney called, then shook his head and returned to his project. He was pretty sure he'd scared Kyle away for a while. "Kids," he sighed. "Can't live with 'em…" He paused and smiled when he saw Kyle's "cape" lying on the floor. "Can't live without 'em. Ow!" He frowned at the over-reactive device and shut it off, deciding with a grin that he ought to use it on Zelenka some time…

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**Author's Note 3:** I'm sorry that I cast "Derailed" in such a negative light; it's actually a decent movie. : )


	47. Revelation

**Fifteen Years - 2021**

_"Here we are, just the two of us together, takin' this crazy chance to be all alone. We both know that we should not be together, 'cause if we're found out, it could mess up both our happy homes. I hate to think about us fallin' out together, 'cause as soon as I look at you it will show on my face, yeah. Then they'll know that we've been loving each other. We can't let 'em know, no, no, no. We can't leave a trace. Secret lovers, yeah, that's what we are. We shouldn't be together. But we can't let go, no, no. 'Cause we love each other so." - Atlantic Starr, "Secret Lovers" _

After a few months of watching Rachel with Aiden, Carson decided that he couldn't have wished for a better first boyfriend. Aiden was always polite and he never pushed the physical aspect of their relationship, not that Rachel would have let him get away with anything. He had to admit, though, that he had felt a small twinge of sadness the first time he saw them snuggled up on the couch together, watching a movie. Aiden had draped his arm around Rachel and she had been resting her head on his shoulder. Carson remembered when she used to snuggle with _him _when she was younger, and this was just another reminder that she was growing up. But they both knew she would always be his little girl.

The only thing that actually annoyed Carson was when he saw them kissing. He knew they kissed; every young couple did. But when it happened in front of him, he wasn't sure how he, as the father, was supposed to react. So he just stood there as Aiden gave Rachel a goodnight kiss, a chaste brushing of lips.

Later that night he complained to Laura, who responded with, "It was a just a kiss, Carson."

"Aye, but after couch-cuddlin' and a lot of kissing, what's the next physical step? Kisses on the neck? Wandering hands?" he wondered worriedly.

"I think it's adorably sweet that you're so protective of our daughter, but she's _only_ fourteen; she probably doesn't find the idea of sex very appealing yet. And she knows better," Laura added. "Besides, I think you've scared Aiden away from trying anything. And you've seen them together. They don't cling to each and ignore the rest of the world like most teenage couples do. They're not alone together very often, so you don't need to worry; they can't get up to anything."

Carson sighed and sat down on the bed next to his wife. "I guess you're right, love." He smiled. "You're always right."

Laura smiled back and placed her hand on his knee. "So… what were you saying about wandering hands being naughty?" she asked coyly, sliding her hand up his thigh.

Carson's eyes lit up. He'd been working such long hours lately, he couldn't remember the last time they'd made love. "Oh, you feel free to be as naughty as you like, m'dear. Nothing wrong with a little of that between you and me," he teased, leaning down to kiss her.

XXXXXX

Laura _was_ right, as the most Aiden and Rachel ever did was the occasional deep kiss. And it had taken them two months to get to that level of physical contact.

Aiden had actually gone to John and, after dithering for a moment, blurted out his question, "How are you supposed to French kiss a girl?"

John chuckled awkwardly. While he was flattered that Aiden had come to him with such a personal question, he had no idea what the hell to say. "You just kind of…do it. And don't slobber all over her; that's a big turn-off. But it's really not that big of a deal. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries."

The first time they tried it, their tongues had barely touched when they both pulled away, their nearly identical expressions expressing, "_That_ was what all the fuss was about?"

Still, something about it made them want to try again on their next date, and a few weeks later they understood what all the fuss was about.

Unfortunately, Louie happened to catch them at it, and immediately began taunting in a loud voice, "Aiden and Rachel sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

Rachel blushed bright red and Aiden looked at the younger boy with a menacing glare. "Oh, go away, Louie!" he said. "You couldn't even get a kiss from a puckmarin!"

"Maybe not, but I can tell your moms," he warned.

"Yeah, and if you do, I'll beat the crap out of you." Rachel rolled her eyes at Aiden's threat.

Fully believing the older boy, Louie's eyes widened and he dashed off.

Aiden turned back to Rachel her and grinned boyishly. "So…where were we?"

XXXXXX

Evie grunted as John landed a blow to her shoulder with his stick. "You _said_ it was close enough to sword fighting that I would be fine even though I've never fought with these stupid things," she complained, twirling the bantos rod in her hand.

"I thought you would be," he said, swinging at her again. This time she easily blocked his attack. "See? You're blocking well enough."

"Yeah, but I'm not hitting you at all," she said as they circled each other briefly before he attacked again. Their rods were a blur and there were several loud cracks of contact until Evie whacked John's side. "Oh, come on! You _let_ me hit you that time," she complained. "Quit holding back, John."

"I don't want to hurt you," he said.

"You don't hold back with Teyla," she pointed out.

"But that's different."

"Why?"

"Because she's--"

"Better than me?"

"Maybe…"

Evie lashed out, but John easily deflected her blow. "And I'm not going to get any better if you take it easy on me," she insisted. "So come on."

John sighed. "Alright, but you asked for it…" When he attacked again, Evie could tell that he had most definitely stepped it up a notch. It was all she could do to keep herself from getting clubbed, let alone try to hit him. She was suddenly glad that Ronon had taught her so much over the years, even if it took a little more thought to apply his lessons to stick-fighting.

John was impressed by her footwork and skill in blocking him as he fought his hardest. A moment later, he landed a stinging blow to her back.

Evie winced, but readied her rods and said, "Keep going."

"Why don't you just give up already?" he teased, not wanting to hurt her any further.

"Because then you would have won," she grinned. "And I can't have that."

He lunged forward and she narrowly missed getting whacked in the side again. She felt a little more confident a moment later when she managed to get in a lucky blow to his upper arm. She twirled and ducked quickly as he took a swing that would have caught the side of her neck. When she straightened, she tried to raise her rod to block his next advance, but he was too quick and the blow split her lip. It stung terribly and tears came to her eyes, but she wasn't going to make a fuss.

"Evie, I'm sorry," he said when he saw the blood.

"I'm fine." She tongued her bottom lip and winced at the sting.

Allowing her the pride of not admitting defeat, John said, "I think that's enough for today. Summer's going to think I've been knocking you around or something."

"Yeah, 'cause you're such an abusive husband," she teased.

John went over to where he had dumped his bag, and pulled out a towel and his water bottle.

"This doesn't mean you won, you know," Evie said, leaning her sticks up against the wall.

John squirted a little bit of cold water onto the corner of the towel. "Uh-huh." He gently took her face in one hand and began tenderly wiping away the blood with the towel.

Evie reached up and softly grasped his hand that was cupping her face. She loved it when he was sweet.

"Better?" he asked when he was done. When she didn't answer, he looked up at her eyes and recognized the adoring gaze. He held her eyes for a moment, then leaned his head down and kissed her.

Evie felt a surge of pain mixed with the pleasure when his lips pressed against her cut. She gasped when she felt him lave it with his tongue. "We can't do this here," she moaned against him.

He should have known they'd end up wanting sex. Sparring could be an intense version of foreplay. "Your place or mine?" he asked, stepping back and quickly collecting his things.

"Mine," she answered, "'cause it's closest."

XXXXXX

"Sheppard!" Rodney called, pounding on the door to Evie's quarters. "Are you in there?"

"Gosh, Rodney, don't announce it to the whole city," he said, commanding the door open.

Rodney strode into the room and found John snuggled up on Evie's bed, a sleepy, satisfied expression on his face. "Come on. Elizabeth called an unscheduled senior staff meeting."

"I'm busy," John said, closing his eyes.

"Well, it looks like you're just lying there," Rodney said, crossing his arms. "So tell me what important thing you're in the middle of."

"Afterglow," John answered with a dumb grin.

Rodney rolled his eyes and picked up John's pants off the floor. He threw them at John and they hit the other man in the face.

"Ugh! Alright, I'm coming," John groaned. He stood up and the sheet fell away from him. Sixteen years ago, he might have cared what Rodney saw; instead, he just began scanning the room for his boxers. He frowned when he didn't see them on the floor anywhere.

"She's waiting," Rodney prompted.

"I can't find my boxers," John complained.

"Well, just go commando or something. Elizabeth's not in a good mood today, and I don't want to make her mad by being late."

John sighed as he took one last glance around the room. Then he pulled on his sweatpants and grabbed his shirt.

"Come on, come on," Rodney nagged, pointing at his watch.

"I've gotta get my shoes on, McKay," he said, pulling his shirt over his head. "You go on without me. I'll be there in a sec."

"Fine," Rodney said and darted out the door.

John rolled his eyes and quickly put his socks and shoes on.

As he left her quarters, he nearly ran into Aiden and was terrified that the boy would notice his tousled hair and rumpled clothing. "Oh! Aiden! Hi. Umm, I was…just needed to talk to Major Brooks about something. And…" He desperately tried to think of a way out of this. "And I saw her clothes on the floor, and the shower was running, so I was just leaving."

"Okay," Aiden said, unconcerned, then he stepped into his mother's quarters.

Evie was just walking out of the bathroom; luckily she had brought a change of clothes in there and was dressed now. She didn't know what miracle had caused John to leave before Aiden came in, but she was thankful beyond words that her son hadn't walked in and found John lying naked in her bed.

"Hey, honey," she said. "How was school?"

"Fine. I got my report card and you need to sign it," he said, holding up a piece of paper.

Evie took it and smiled at the grades she saw. "Six A's and two B's. Aiden, that's great!"

Aiden smiled back. "I've been studying a lot more, 'cause I have to have good grades if I wanna get into the Air Force Academy." He handed her a pen to sign the paper, but he dropped it and it rolled under the bed. "I'll get it," he said, dropping to his knees. Reaching under the bed for the pen, his hands latched onto something else. He pulled out a pair of boxers with airplanes on them. "These don't look like yours," he teased, dangling them in front of his mother's face.

Evie blushed. "What? You don't think I ever get it on anymore?" she joked.

"What?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "With who?"

"Uhh… It's complicated, honey, I--"

"Major Brooks, please report to the Gate Room," came the voice of Colonel Donovan over the radio.

Evie reached a hand up and tapped her headset. "I'll be there right away, sir," she said, relieved to be momentarily spared her current conversation. "I have to go, Aiden," she informed him quietly, standing to leave.

"Mom, wait," he said, grabbing her arm. "I didn't even know you were seeing someone. Who do these belong to?"

"I'll talk to you later, honey," she said, kissing his forehead.

"But, Mom, I--"

"I really _have_ to go." With that, she walked out the door, leaving her son very perturbed and holding Sheppard's boxers.

XXXXXX

After comparing stories and realizing that Aiden was probably smart enough to put two and two together, Evie and John decided to keep away from each other for a while. The last thing they needed was for Aiden to see them together somewhere and start asking questions.

Apparently it worked. When Aiden didn't see them hanging out together for the next week and a half, he chalked up the incident to coincidence. If his mother had been _doing_ anything with Uncle John, she would have told him. He decided that if she wouldn't divulge the name of her lover, it was probably because he was just some dork she was relieving stress with.

Aiden regretted that he and his mother didn't get to spend much time together because of how often she was off-world. On any of the days that she _was_ home, he tried to do something with her, even it was just sharing a meal. So, knowing it would brighten her day, Aiden decided that he would eat dinner with her.

When he approached her door however, he heard what sounded like a struggle and then her crying out. The door was locked, but certain people with a strong enough ATA gene could override certain "lock" commands - a mental "key" of sorts. Aiden could override the command to his mother's quarters and he did so, bursting in on a completely unexpected scene.

"_Oh_. Wow." He quickly turned away, his eyes forever scarred by the image of a naked man on top of his mother, the two of them obviously in the middle of an intimate moment. "Um. Sorry. Really sorry," he said quickly as he heard the sound of the sheets rustling. "I'll just…" He turned to go, but Evie called to him.

"Was there something you needed, honey?" she asked, breathing heavily.

"I was… It's dinnertime and I was wondering if you wanted to eat with me is all," Aiden answered, still not looking at her.

Not thinking about the fact that Aiden probably hadn't recognized him in that half-second, with the dim light, John spoke up wryly, "She regrets to inform you that she has a prior engagement."

Now Aiden _did _turn around. He ordered the lights up to their full brightness and his eyebrows shot up into his hair when he saw John under the covers next to Evie, panting like he'd just run the four-minute mile.

Evie wanted to smack her husband for speaking when she saw the horrified expression on her son's face.

Aiden's mouth moved, but he formulated no words. His mind was quickly connecting dots, but he didn't want to believe it. After an awkward moment he managed, "U-Uncle John?" When John didn't say anything, Aiden's shock began quickly turning to anger. It wasn't exactly logical, but he wouldn't have cared if his mom had been sleeping with some random scientist behind his back. But this was _John_. And it hurt. "What the _hell_ are you doing?" he cried.

"Aiden," Evie began, "we--"

"I didn't ask you, I asked _him_!" Aiden snapped, never taking his glaring eyes off John.

"Don't talk to your mother that way," John warned.

"I don't have to listen to you! You're not my father, you--"

"Aiden!"

"Well, what does he think he's doing?!"

"What did it _look _like we were doing?" John asked sarcastically.

"What gives you the right to f-- to sleep with her?" Aiden snarled. John looked down, biting his tongue. He would let Evie make the final call of whether or not to tell him. "What gives you the right?" Aiden demanded, his fists clenching. When John still said nothing, Aiden threatened, "If you don't answer me, so help me God, I'll te--"

"Aiden, John and I have been together for sixteen years," Evie said quietly, her bottom lip trembling. This was _not_ how she'd envisioned telling him; she didn't think now was the best time to tell him about the ceremony on Venalia, either.

Aiden frowned and his brow furrowed, an act that made him look even more like his father. "Wh…what?"

Evie removed her dog tags and tossed them toward her son.

Aiden caught them and pulled the metal tags apart.

Evie saw the shock register on her son's face when he saw the engagement ring. "Honey, I'm so sorry that we nev--"

"So, what, after Rodney knocked you up, you just moved right along to the next guy?" Aiden asked defensively, trying to cover his inner hurt and turmoil.

John and Evie shared an awkward, worried look.

Aiden snorted. "Oh, right. Next thing you'll tell me is that Rodney's not my father."

There was a very awkward silence from both John and Evie, who suddenly found something interesting in the sheets to stare at.

"Come _on_!" Aiden exclaimed. "This is my _life_, not a soap opera!" He scowled in frustration and began, "Then who--" Suddenly, he stopped, his brain catching up to his mouth. Sixteen years…and he was only fifteen… He slowly looked up to John, confusion in his eyes. John gave the slightest nod of his head as confirmation. Aiden took a step back, slowly shaking his head. "No."

"Aiden--" John began.

"Screw you!" Aiden cried, blinking back the angry tears that were springing to his eyes. "Screw you both!" he cursed, turning on his heel and running out of the room.


	48. Confrontation

A/N: I SO meant to have this up Monday to make it an even week in-between postings. Sorry, guys. Also, college is eating my life again, but if you think happy thoughts and send pixie dust, maybe, just MAYBE I'll have the conclusion all finished for next Monday. :-D

* * *

**Fifteen Years Old - 2021**

_"I know it's not what you want to hear. Nothing makes up for all the years. I pray for the day you see I tried to raise you the best I know. Now there's only one thing I can hope: you don't end up just like me. I only wanted you to have more than I could ever dream of. I only wanted you to know everything I know and then some. I only wanted you to be more than I could ever become. I only wanted, I only wanted you." - Stellar Kart, "Only Wanted" _

Evie buried her head in John's shoulder and sighed heavily. She knew they shouldn't have had sex again so soon after Aiden had started suspecting, but John had nearly died off-world and it was a "need to feel alive" plea that Evie hadn't refused.

"You want me to go talk to him?" John asked after a moment.

"No," she said quietly. "I'll do it." She got off the bed and began slipping her discarded clothes back on.

There was a long silence between them as she got dressed. John finally asked, "So… I should probably…" He slid off the bed and began picking up his clothes as well. "I guess we shouldn't--"

"We have to cool it for a while," Evie interrupted, her distraught mind racing so much she hadn't even heard John. "It's like… It's like when mom starts dating a new boyfriend type thing…even though it's different…I'm sure that's what it feels like to Aiden."

"Evie--"

"I mean, it's not like I would know what that feels like, but I'm guessing it'd be really hard…"

"Evie--"

"And he caught us having _sex_!" she lamented. "Of all the possible ways for him to find out, he had t--"

John cut off her nervous ramblings by pulling her into a tight hug. "Evie," he said gently. "Just talk to him, and he'll calm down. It's gonna be alright."

She clung to him, trying to convince herself that he was right. "Yeah… Everything's gonna be alright," she repeated shakily. "If…" She sighed and let him go. "I should go now." She gave him a final worried look and then quickly left.

John sank down onto the bed as he watched her go. _'"It's gonna be alright"?!'_ he repeated to himself. _'No it's __**not**__ going to be al-frickin-right! The shit's hit the fan, John, and you have to deal with the repercussions.'_ He looked around for something that wasn't breakable and the first thing he found was his shoe, which made an unsatisfying thud when he hurled it in frustration against the wall.

He needed to think. Stripping out of his clothes for the second time that day, he walked into the bathroom and took a shower.

XXXXXX

When Evie reached Aiden's quarters, she wasn't surprised to find it locked. "Aiden…" she called worriedly. "Can we talk?"

"Go away!" he yelled from inside and she heard the sound of glass shattering.

"Aiden, please, we need to talk," she said, and hated that she was begging.

"I said go away! I don't want to talk to you, you…whore!"

Evie could take that kind of crap from people who disapproved of her supposed fling with Rodney, but _not_ from her son. "You do _not_ speak to your mother like that!" she reprimanded.

"Screw _you_!" Aiden cried bitterly. "Mothers don't lie to their kids for fifteen years!"

Evie sighed and wiped her eyes; if she was going to get through to him, she really didn't need to be blubbering. "I'm sorry about that, Aiden, but we didn't have a choice."

"_You_ didn't have a choice?" he asked and she could hear the derision in his voice. "Nobody even _asked_ me! Didn't you think I might have liked to have a father growing up?" His accusing words shot to hell Evie's plan of not crying. "Or were you too busy screwing every guy in Atlantis?"

Evie slammed a hand against the wall. All she ever got was "tramp, tramp, tramp." She'd been faithful to her one and only for sixteen years, darn it! "Uncle John--" She paused and then dispensed with the lie. "Your father is the only one, Aiden."

"He's not my father!" he shouted.

"Yes, he is, Aiden," she said in a quieter tone as she let her forehead fall against the door. "Think about it. Who took you to those football games? Who taught you to fly?" If Evie had been in a more rational state, she might have worried about the possibility of someone--anyone--overhearing this entire conversation. Luckily, the hallway remained empty. "Who did I get to give you the _man_ talk?" She smiled slightly at the amusing memory of begging John to educate Aiden in the ways of males. After a pause she asked, "Will you let me in, please?"

There was a long pause followed by, "Fine."

Evie waved her hand in front of the door's sensor and stepped inside. Her eyes quickly fell upon the source of the breaking glass she had heard earlier; the remnants of a picture frame lay in scattered shards on the floor. The photograph of mother and son was still intact, however. As she moved to sit on the edge of his bed, she noted the damp spot on his pillow, which explained why he was reluctant to meet her gaze. "Aiden…" she said softly. "I really am sorry." When he said nothing in response, she continued. "We were going to tell you. I'm just so sorry that you had to find out this way."

"Tell me when?" Aiden asked with a cynical tone.

Evie looked down. "We hadn't really decided yet…but soon."

"Why didn't you just…" Aiden paused for a moment, thinking. "I dunno, retire and marry him or something?" he asked at last. "I mean, if you loved him enough to come up with this lie?"

Evie sighed as she thought about the times she and John had had this conversation…once right before he was attacked by pygmies. "If I had quit the military, there was no guarantee that I would have been able to stay in Atlantis, Aiden."

It was only a few seconds before he came back with, "He could have quit with you."

"He could have, Aiden," Evie admitted. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we didn't make the right decision, but right or wrong, this is what we did. I'm sorry; I really am."

Aiden sighed and replied with an apathetic, "Whatever."

Evie sat there for a minute before she decided that this was probably as good as things were going to get right now and stood to leave.

"So…what are you gonna do now?" Aiden asked before she'd gotten far.

"What?"

"Are you two going to go on like this? I mean, am I just supposed to keep your secret?"

Evie thought about that for a while. "Well, I suppose we should talk about that," she finally answered. Then she added, "As a family."

Aiden made a face. "Ugh. _Later_."

Evie nodded; she wasn't going to press him. "Okay." She started walking and had almost reached the door when she turned back and asked, "Will I see you at dinner?"

"I dunno," he answered uncaringly.

Evie looked down sadly, then left him alone.

Aiden just sat on his bed for several long minutes before finally grabbing Puppy out of his cage and petting him compulsively. It wasn't the fact that John was his father that was eating Aiden up. It was that they had lied to him his whole life. Over and over throughout the years. And it wasn't just his mother and John--his father. No, he'd still stick with 'John' for now. But Rodney had lied to him, too. And he was fairly certain that Summer and Michael would have known, as well.

Aiden didn't realize that he was slowly making a fist until Puppy let out a gurgle of protest. "Sorry," he muttered to the creature, releasing his grip and patting it on the head. The more Aiden thought about it, the more bitter he became. So many lies…

_"Mommy, where do babies come from?" Aaron asked, rubbing his mother's stomach where his unborn sibling was residing. _

_Summer hadn't expected this question from her four-year-old, but she answered sweetly and non-graphically, "Babies are made because a mommy and a daddy love each other __**so**__ much." _

_"Oh." Aaron looked over at Aiden, who was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. "But then where did Aiden come from, Mommy?" he asked, frowning with concern. "'Cause he doesn't have a daddy…" _

_Wow. Sometimes she wished her son wasn't quite so curious… "He was made the same way you were, sweetie," she answered awkwardly. _

_"But he doesn't have a daddy," Aaron insisted. _

_"I know that, Aaron--" _

_"So where'd he come from?" _

_"Aaron…" _

_"You said he had to have a mommy and a daddy." _

_"His mommy slept with Uncle Rodney, okay?" she finally blurted, exasperated from her lack of sleep compounded by her son's persistent questions. _

_"So Uncle Rodney's his daddy?" Aaron asked, confused. _

_"No, sweetie. It's…complicated." She suddenly saw Aiden walking towards them and said quietly to her son, "We'll talk about it later." _

_"Okay, Mommy." _

_"Alright, boys. Time for bed," she said, standing up and ushering them towards their bed. Being taken off of active duty because of the progress of her pregnancy meant that she had to take care of Aiden whenever Evie went off-world. She was putting them to bed in the boys' room, while Michael took care of Skylar in their quarters. _

_"C'mon, Aiden. Get in bed and I'll read you guys a story," she offered. _

_"No," he said, backing away from the low bed. _

_"Aiden," she said, putting a little bit of sternness into her voice, "Please get in bed." _

_"No! You just said that babies come from beds!" he protested. _

_Summer looked confused. "What?" _

_"You said that my mommy slept with Uncle Rodney and then she had a baby!" he exclaimed, obviously having overheard the previous conversation. His eyes were wide as he stared at the bed he shared with Aaron. _

_"Oh, sweetie," Summer said, bending down and gently taking Aiden's hand. "Don't worry about that. I promise you'll be fine. Do you want to pick out two books for us?" she asked, hoping to distract him. _

_Aiden gave the bed one last wary glance, then nodded. "The plane book, Aunt Summer! I wanna read the plane book!" he announced and began pulling his favorite book off the small bookshelf…_

When Puppy began nibbling on his finger, Aiden put him back in his cage and fed him a few of the red chachi berries that the little puckmarin loved so much. On his way back to his bed, a piece of broken glass crunched under his shoe. He bent over and picked up the ruined picture frame. He slowly pulled the picture loose and lay back down on his bed as he stared at it.

It was lovely posed photograph of himself and his mother that Summer had taken only a few months ago. Looking at the picture of his mother, Aiden still couldn't believe that she'd created such a tangled web of lies to tell him…

_"Mom," Aiden asked after Kyle's second birthday party. "How come Kyle has a dad and I don't?" _

_Evie nearly choked on her drink. "What?" she managed after she'd recovered. _

_"Well, I know that Rodney's my biological father, but why aren't you two together like Aunt Summer and Uncle Michael?" _

_Evie's mind frantically tried to come up with an answer. "Rodney and I… We decided that we didn't love each other." She wanted to kick herself for coming up with such a terrible reason. _

_"Then why did you have me?" Aiden pressed. "Aunt Summer said that babies are made when a mom and dad love each other." _

_"We…did…but then…we didn't…" Evie answered very awkwardly. _

_Aiden didn't look convinced, but could tell that his mom didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Okay. Whatever. Want to see if there's any leftover cake?" he asked, changing subjects. _

_Evie smiled and nodded…_

Having completely lost his appetite, Aiden put the picture on his bedside table and lay his head on his pillow. Five minutes later, he was asleep.

XXXXXX

After John had finished his shower and gotten dressed, he sought out his wife. Knowing her pretty well, he guessed that she'd be with Summer; when he heard sobs coming through the door of the Murphys' quarters, he knew he was right. He used his gene to activate the door chimes and heard Summer's voice calling, "We're not in the mood for visitors!"

He entered anyway and noted that Summer looked relieved to see him. She was sitting on the couch holding Evie, who was practically in her lap. "What--What kind of a mother l-lies to her son?" she sobbed hysterically.

Summer gently rubbed Evie's back. She had disapproved of John and Evie's charade from the beginning, but there was no way she going to say any "I told you so"s now. "Hey," she said firmly, but lovingly, "Aiden still loves you, Evie. You _know_ that."

"I wouldn't still love me!" she cried, the sobs starting to come harder.

Summer looked up sadly at John. He took this as his cue and sat down on the couch next to his wife.

"Evie," he said gently, touching her shoulder.

When Evie looked back and saw him, she let go of Summer and turned around, throwing her arms around John's neck. "Tell me I'm not a horrible person," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"You're not a horrible person, Evie. But we knew he'd find out sooner or later and now we've got to deal with it."

When Evie started crying harder, Summer gave John a look. "Nice going, sir," she said.

John sighed frustratedly. He was just as upset as Evie, only he was keeping it bottled up inside. How was he supposed to know what to say to make her feel better when he couldn't even convince _himself_ that it was all going to work out happily ever after? "Hey, c'mon, Evie," he murmured, beginning to stroke her hair. "We'll get through this, okay?"

Summer mouthed the word "better."

"I don't know exactly how, but we'll get through this. Together."

Evie wasn't done crying yet, but she nodded her head and hugged him tighter.


	49. Reconciliation

**Fifteen Years Old - 2021**

_"The time between those cutting words built up our defenses, never made no sense, it just made me hurt. Do you believe that time heals all wounds? It started getting better, but it's easy not to fight when I'm not with you. I was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me, too. And it makes me wonder. The older I get will I get over it? It's been way too long for the times we missed. I didn't know then it would hurt like this. But I think the older I get maybe I'll get over it. It's been way too long for the times we missed. I can't believe it still hurts like this." - Skillet, "The Older I Get"_

The "family discussion" that Evie wanted never happened, because Aiden did a remarkable job of keeping away from both her and John. Evie knew he needed space and she was more than willing to give it to him, especially after she found a note on her pillow the day after the incident. _'I don't want to talk about it, and I don't want to have anything to do with either of you right now, but don't worry, I promise I'm not going to tell Dr. Weir or Colonel Norrington or anybody. I won't get you fired. But when I feel like talking to you again, I want to discuss you getting me the new gaming system I've been asking for. Which is totally not blackmail. - Aiden, the apparently-accidental byproduct of a love-struck Lieutenant and a "dreamy" Lieutenant Colonel'_

"We're gonna have to sit down and talk with him at some point, but I think we may actually come out of this for the most part unscathed," Evie said to John as they ate lunch on Saturday.

"I'm just amazed that with the temper he's have inherited from us, he hasn't stormed into Dr. Weir's office and blurted out the whole thing," John remarked.

"Let's just keep our fingers crossed," Evie said tiredly; the whole ordeal was exhausting her.

"I ran into him the other day and asked him if he wanted to go to the shooting range with me and he totally blew me off."

"What did you expect? He's trying to avoid you completely and you're reaching out a little bit more at the same time. Things are bound to be awkward until you corner him and lay things out and answer any accusing and probing questions he may have."

"Thank you, Dr. Phil, that sounds like a wonderful suggestion. Do you know where I might find my darling child?" He didn't think his tone could have been any more sarcastic.

"Why, yes, John!" Evie said with the over-the-top enthusiasm characteristic of a game show host. "Right through those doors and down two halls, your long-lost child awaits for you to come and reconnect with him!"

John threw a grape at her.

"He's in the rec room drowning his sorrows in some shoot 'em up game," she answered.

"Thank you," he said, standing up and leaving his tray. "Last one eating has to clear the table," he called back teasingly.

XXXXXX

John quietly entered the rec room and sat down on the floor next to Aiden. There was a long minute of awkward silence until Aiden finally paused the game and handed John one of the extra controllers, avoiding any eye contact. Still not wanting to talk, Aiden merely restarted the game.

John took notice of the fact that when the game gave the lead controller the option to put the two of them on the same team or opposing ones, Aiden put them on opposite teams -- where they would be shooting at each other.

They played without speaking for several minutes, the silence only broken by machine gunfire and the occasional yells of bad guys when John or Aiden took them out. They had nearly equal skill levels, and thus hadn't managed to kill each other yet.

John finally decided to speak up. "So--"

Aiden quickly cut him off. "Did my mom send you in here to talk to me?"

"No," John answered. "I just asked her where you were, and she told me."

"Come to tell your side of the story?" Aiden asked, his tone harsh.

"Aiden…" John paused for a moment, trying to think of where to start. "I have _no idea_ what to tell you. Your mom and I have been together for sixteen years. When you came along, neither one of us wanted to quit this job, so this is what we did. And don't think we haven't second-guessed ourselves every step of the way."

Aiden shot Sheppard's onscreen teammate with his character's machine gun. "Don't you think that maybe I wanted a dad like all the other kids?"

"Don't you think I _wanted_ to be your dad, Aiden?" John replied incredulously, taking out his current frustration on the sniper he had snuck up on. "Neither of us could have been assured job security here in Atlantis if we quit the military. And I highly doubt the Air Force would have just let me retire fifteen years ago anyway."

Aiden remembered his mom saying as much, and thought for a minute. "You still could have told me sooner," he said, repeating his point from earlier.

"I had no idea how the hell you'd take me telling you that I--"

"That you lied to me for fifteen years? Yeah, I expect I wouldn't have taken that very well," Aiden replied bitterly. He threw a grenade at John's character and watched him explode in a bloody, CG mess.

John tried his best not to scowl as he waited for his character to regenerate. "I know we shouldn't have kept it from you for so long, but if we told you when you were younger, we had no guarantee that you wouldn't mention it to someone innocently or blab it to Caldwell because you were angry with one of us. Besides, are you seriously telling me that you believed _Rodney_ was your father? For all these years you never suspected…?"

Aiden continued playing, but it was obvious from his performance that he was no longer thinking about the game at all. "I guess I knew…" he finally said quietly. "I mean…I think I'd be doing a lot better in school if I was part Rodney." They both chuckled mirthlessly. "But you've always been interested in my life and…you do stuff with me. Like, you've always tried to be there. And, wow, that sounds _really_ sappy now that I say it out loud." Aiden shook his head and tried to focus on the game again.

After another silence that wasn't quite so awkward, John spoke up again. "So…you're not angry at me anymore? We're cool?"

"No, I'm still angry," Aiden answered. "You've majorly broken my trust. You _both_ have…"

John sighed heavily. "I know…" After a pause, he asked, "If I try my hardest, think it will take long for me to earn it back?"

Aiden shrugged uncaringly. "Guess we'll find out."

XXXXXX

A few days later, Aiden found his mother in her quarters after dinner, reading a book. "Mom?"

"Hey. What can I do for you?" she asked, putting the book down.

"I want some answers," he said, sitting down next to her.

She sighed. "I'll answer whatever you ask me, Aiden, but you know that your father--" He gave her a look at the use of the word "father", so she changed to "_John_ would probably really like to be included in this."

"I don't want to talk to him," Aiden said resolutely.

Evie sighed again. "Fine. What have you come to interrogate me about?"

"Why did you drag Rodney into it and say that he was my father?" he asked.

"'_Drag_ Rodney into it'?" she repeated, incredulous. "It was _his_ idea!"

"It was?"

Evie nodded. "When I told Elizabeth that I was pregnant, she asked who the father was and I just froze. When Rodney saw that I was freaking out, he said that it was his."

"Why would he do that?"

"To this day, I still don't know what possessed him to say it. It got us both into a lot of trouble, especially with John. And Rodney almost lost Mary because of it."

"Why did you go along with it?"

"What was I supposed to do, take it back? 'Guess what, Rodney? I got a paternity test done and it's not yours. You're off the hook!' Everybody already assumed I'd had a one-night stand with him, which made me look kind of trampy. I just… John and I never planned on having you and--"

"So I'm just an accident?"

"Aiden, half the children on this base were accidents. No, you weren't planned, but when Carson told me I was pregnant, I was _so_ happy. You mean more to me than anything, and you know that. But back to the Rodney thing… Nine months seemed so far away; we figured we'd have come up with a better plan by then. But we never did. We were going to tell you when we knew you were old enough to handle the information--"

"I could have handled it years ago," Aiden countered.

"If you would let me finish," Evie frowned, "I was going to say that we kept putting it off because we were scared of how you would react."

"I imagine there would have been lots of yelling. And accusing. And I probably would have felt upset, hurt, betrayed…"

"Aiden…"

"Humiliated, stabbed in the back…"

"Aiden, I've said I was sorry! How many more times do you want me to apologize?"

"Until it feels sincere," he answered meanly.

"Which means until you're done punishing me," Evie said with obvious resentment. "Don't you think I've suffered enough these fifteen years?"

"_You_ had it easy!" he accused. "_You_ had us _both_!"

"Don't yell at me, Aiden," she warned.

"Raise the child by day, sneak off to have sex with the boyfriend by night," he described bitterly. "You got what you wanted."

"Aiden, you need a serious reality check if you think I've had it easy or that this was anything _close_ to what I wanted," Evie countered defensively. "All I ever wanted was a career, a husband, and maybe a kid or two. Do you really think I _expected_ to fall in love with your-- John?"

Aiden rolled his eyes.

"It was hard trying to stay under the radar when we were together, and it got even more complicated after you were born."

"First I'm just an accident, now I'm a complication?"

"Aiden--"

"Maybe you should have just gotten rid of me. Would have solved all your problems."

Evie closed her eyes, devastated by his remark.

When Aiden saw a tear slip down her cheek, his entire demeanor changed. "Mom?" he asked quickly, his anger dissolving.

She brushed the tear away and looked at him. "Don't say that," she whispered, eyes filling with more tears. "Don't _ever_ say that."

"Sorry," he mumbled. After a moment, he leaned over and hugged her. "I didn't mean it, Mom, I'm just…"

"Upset." She hugged him back tightly, one hand holding his head against hers. "I know, honey." She paused, then added in a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Aiden continued holding her and said softly, "I forgive you…"

Evie sniffled as a few more tears made their way down her face. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." He pulled away a short moment later and watched as she wiped her eyes again. "I hate it when you cry," he commented.

She smiled as she sniffled. "John says I cry too much," she related. "I cried when he asked me to marry him, I cried when I finally said yes, I cried when we got back from Venalia…"

"Wait, what happened on Venalia? And when did he ask you to marry him?" Aiden asked, his desire for answers re-ignited.

"Aiden, our relationship is _so_ much more than 'sneaking off to have sex at night,'" she said, and he blushed at her repeating his phrase. "We've been through a heck of a lot together. Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up." Aiden grinned at her use of the quote. "Shall I start with the marriage ceremony on Venalia?"

Aiden's eyes about bugged out of his head. "You guys got _married_?!" he gasped.

Evie grinned. "Yup. We're legal in Pegasus. Earth…" She wiggled her hand to stress her uncertainty. "We might need some papers someday."

"So start with when he asked you," Aiden requested. "I bet _that_ went really well."

"Oh, it was special alright. It was a little over sixteen years ago, and I found him on one of the balconies…"

XXXXXX

After that day, Evie found herself on the road to recovery with Aiden. Things were still not the same between them, and Evie realized it would take more than just one meaningful moment to rebuild the trust that had been broken, but she was able to hope that their relationship would someday be whole again. She was disappointed to learn that things were not so great between Aiden and John, so she invited John to join them in watching a movie in her quarters.

John got there first and sat down on the bed next to Evie, engaging in conversation until their son showed up.

Aiden rushed in the door a few minutes later. "Hey, Mom. Sorry I'm late, I-- Oh. Hey, John." The tone in his greeting related that he wasn't thrilled to see the man.

"Hey. Hope you don't mind me watching the movie with you two."

Aiden tried his best not to scowl; today was one of those days where he just didn't want to deal with John. "Whatever." He took the DVD that he had brought and put it into his mother's laptop. Then he pulled over her swivel chair, which was what he always used, and sat down.

As the movie started up, he saw his mother and John getting comfortable. Evie lay down with her back against John, and Aiden stiffened when John slid his hand from around her waist to resting on her hip.

Randomly glancing over at Aiden after a minute, John was surprised to see his son shooting him an angry glare. Chalking it up to Aiden being moody, John returned his attention to the movie. When he glanced back a minute later, Aiden was still glaring at him. "Okay, what is your problem?" John finally asked.

"Do you have to grope her?"

John made a questioning gesture with his hand that relayed an unspoken "What the hell?" "I'm not _groping_ her," John said, adding defensively, "And even if I was, it wouldn't be any of your business." When Aiden rolled his eyes and muttered something decidedly derogatory, John sat up, giving his son the stern look that reminded the boy of when he was a younger and about to get a well-deserved spanking. "I know you're pissed at me, Aiden, but if you don't stop acting like this every time we're in the same room together…"

Aiden clenched his fists at John's unfinished threat.

"What? You wanna take a swing at me?" John asked, seeing Aiden's hostile attitude. "Let's go. Right now."

"John…" Evie said, her tone indicating that she didn't like the idea.

"We'll be fine," he said, not taking his eyes off Aiden. "C'mon. We'll both get some of that frustration out."

Aiden turned to his mother and began moving his hands animatedly. Evie had taught Aiden basic signs when he was younger and what he didn't know, he could finger-spell. John, on the other hand, only knew how to sign "I love you"-- but he could tell, by the way that Aiden was making all of his signs forcefully, that he was probably saying something rude.

Evie shook her head and signed something short back to him.

"It's not polite to talk with your hands," John commented, feeling left out.

Aiden started to repeat what he had just signed, but Evie just pointed toward the door.

Aiden scowled and trudged out the door of his mother's quarters, John following after him.

"Don't beat the crap out of each other too badly," Evie called as they left.

XXXXXX

Ten minutes later, after stopping to grab gym bags, John and Aiden were changing into more comfortable gym clothes. "What, no more questions for me this time?" John asked as he slipped out of his uniform pants.

"I think I know all I need to know," Aiden snapped, pulling on a pair of gray sweatpants.

"So you don--"

"Can we just do this, John?" To dispense with the lie, and also to show a loss of respect, Aiden had dropped the "Uncle" and started calling him just "John" now.

John finished tying his shoelace. "Fine. Gloves or fists?" he asked, gesturing to the various forms of hand protection on the shelf.

Aiden thought for a minute. "Fists." He needed to feel some physical pain to take his mind off the emotional pain.

After five minutes of sparring, they were both panting, though John had hit Aiden a lot more times than Aiden had hit John. Aiden swung again, but John easily blocked it and delivered his own blow that caught Aiden's chin. "You're swinging too hard," he commented. "I can get my next punch in before you recover."

Aiden frowned, but didn't say anything.

A moment later, John critiqued him again. "You're too tense. Bend your knees a little. And move your feet."

"Would you stop criticizing me?" Aiden frowned. "I'm not one of your men."

"No," he grunted, blocking a wild swing from Aiden, "you're just my son."

"Stop calling me that," Aiden growled, feinting left. When John went to block him, Aiden swung from the right and hit Sheppard squarely on the ear.

John shook off the blow and replied, "It's the truth, Aiden, and the sooner you stop acting like a spoiled little brat and get with the program, the happier we'll all be."

"_Rodney_ never criticizes me."

"Rodney's not your father."

"I think I liked it better when he was," Aiden said viciously.

Enraged, John grabbed Aiden's wrist with both of his hands, yanking the boy forward and flipping him. Aiden landed on the mat with a groan and John quickly moved to pin Aiden's body with his own, pinning the boy's arms to the floor as well. "What the hell is your problem?" John asked angrily.

Aiden stared up at John defiantly, struggling a little beneath the larger man.

John leaned more of his weight forward, onto Aiden's arms. "Why are you fighting this thing so hard?"

"Maybe I don't _want_ you for a dad!" Aiden answered harshly.

Deeply hurt by this, John lashed out cruelly with, "What's the matter? Afraid Evie loves _me_ more than you?"

Anger flashed in Aiden's eyes, and he struggled fiercely, managing to get his right hand free. Before John had a chance to react, Aiden's fist collided with John's left eye socket. John used swear words Aiden probably hadn't heard before as he clutched his face. "I hate you!" Aiden cried, scrambling away from John.

"Son of a bitch," John hissed, more at the pain than the boy.

Aiden stood up and quickly made for the entrance to the gym. "You can go off-world and get fed on by a Wraith for all I care!" he called back. He had almost made it to the door when they suddenly whooshed shut in front of him. Aiden stopped and commanded them open with his mind. Nothing happened. Aiden scowled and ran his hand in front of the sensor on the wall. Still nothing.

Aiden whirled around, furious, not caring that John could now see the tears in his eyes. "Let me out," he demanded through clenched teeth.

"No," John managed, still holding his hand against his injured face.

"Let me out of here! I hate you!" Aiden screamed. A few of the tears finally spilled down his face and, oh, how he _hated_ that he was crying in front of John.

"Aiden--"

"You think you can control me," his voice was breaking, but he was too angry to succumb to sobs; he had a lot of things he needed to say. "You think that after fifteen years of lies, after fifteen years of not having a dad, you can just come in and expect me to be your best friend and obey you. You turned my whole world upside-down, John! And you think I'm just supposed to pick up all the pieces and start over and accept you as a father! I can't even--" With an anguished cry, he turned and slammed his arm against the wall. He let his head drop to the crook of his arm and rested his weight against the wall. His breath came in uneven gasps as he tried to calm himself down, tears still trickling down his cheeks.

There was a long silence until Aiden heard John's quiet voice. "Aiden?" The voice sounded closer, but Aiden didn't care and he didn't answer; he only sniffled and tried to get the tears to stop. He jumped when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. When John gently called his name again, a sob escaped Aiden's throat.

"You know I don't expect you to accept all this like there's nothing wrong, Aiden," John said quietly. "I'm… I'm sorry for all of it, but all I'm asking for is a second chance. All I want you to do is try. I don't expect things to immediately be great between us, or even good. But if you'll let me, I'd like to get there eventually." When Aiden didn't say anything, he figured he should probably let his son have some time alone. "Hey, I'm going to go get cleaned up. You gonna be okay?"

Aiden nodded his head slowly, keeping his face hidden against his arm.

"'Kay." He reached his hand up and gently tousled Aiden's hair, an act that had been a sign of affection between them since Aiden had had enough hair to rumple. John mentally unlocked the doors, then grabbed his gear and left, knowing they both had a lot to think about.

XXXXXX

For the next month and a half, Aiden's tolerance of John was about as unpredictable as the weather. Some days they were able to have civil meals together, with Evie always at the table in case things got ugly. Some days they were able to do stuff together and enjoy themselves for the most part. And other days John would accidentally push too hard to spend time together, and Aiden wouldn't want to have anything to do with him.

That had been their agreement, the day after their fight in the gym. John had promised that Aiden would be the one to decide when they spent time together, so long as Aiden would stop glaring at John like an overprotective guard dog every time he touched Evie. Most days they both kept up their ends of the deal.

John could tell that Aiden still didn't trust him one hundred percent, but he knew that would probably take months to regain. Their relationship was slowly taking steps back toward normalcy, but John had an idea to speed things up. He didn't care that Aiden hadn't hugged him, and didn't call him "Dad", he just wanted the awkward tension between them to go away.

So, almost a full two months after Aiden had walked in on his parents, John asked his son if he wanted to go flying in the jumper. "I think it's time I let you fly solo," John said with a proud smile.

"What, you mean all by myself?" Aiden's eyes lit up.

"No, I'll be there. But you'll have solo control," he promised.

"Mom probably won't let me," Aiden said dejectedly.

"I already talked her into it."

"Really? She didn't complain about how dangerous it is and the fact that I'll probably get us both killed?"

"Oh, she did, but I promised her we'd come back in one piece."

Aiden grinned. "Can we go right now?"

John nodded. "No place else I'd rather be."

"Okay, John, you've got to stop saying sappy stuff like that," Aiden pointed out.

John chuckled. "Duly noted. Let's go."

Ten minutes later, they were airborne, and the controls on John's side of the jumper were deactivated. Aiden did several loop-de-loops, wishing the inertial dampeners weren't so perfect; he'd love to _feel_ some of these maneuvers. "You know, John… Jumpers are great and going solo is great, really, but I'd like to fly a 302 sometime."

"Ha. Maybe for your eighteenth birthday," John said.

"You said these things go underwater, right?" Aiden asked a moment later.

"Yes, but we're not doing that. This jumper hasn't been properly prepped for that."

Aiden sighed. Then, with a mischievous smirk, he tilted the controls downward, starting a steep descent toward the water beneath them.

"Aiden, what are you doing?" John asked worriedly. Aiden didn't answer. The jumper was in an all-out nosedive now, heading straight for the water, and John began panicking. "Aiden, pull up! Pull up!" The only way John could control the jumper was to physically take over the controls on Aiden's side. With the Lantean ocean zooming towards them, John quickly got out of his chair and was about to grab the yoke, when Aiden suddenly pulled up, the change in direction and G-forces -- finally strong enough to overcome the dampeners -- knocking John off his feet.

When John got back up a moment later, Aiden was smirking and obviously trying not to laugh. "Very funny," John said, sitting back down.

"You're such a pansy," Aided giggled.

"Yeah, well, most all of the times people have been underwater in these things, bad things have happened."

"Sorry," Aiden said, setting a course for the mainland.

XXXXXX

Twenty minutes and a very amusing conversation later, the jumper was approaching the city. "Control Room, this is Jumper One requesting fly-by," Aiden said with a grin. John chuckled.

"This is the Control Room, Jumper One… I'm not sure I understand what you're asking."

"Just give him permission and set your coffee cups down," John spoke up.

"Uhh… Okay… Permission granted, Jumper One."

Aiden grinned and began steering the jumper towards the Control Tower. About ten seconds later, they passed so close to the Tower that they could see the startled expression on Chuck's face. Both father and son laughed as they sped off into the sky once more.

"You about ready to head back?" John asked a minute later.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks for letting me do this, John," he said with a sincere smile. "It was really fun."

"Yeah. You did great."

Aiden beamed at the praise. "Hey, me and Aaron and Uncle Michael are going paintballing in, like, half an hour. Wanna come?"

John nodded. "Sure."

"Great." Aiden didn't say anything further, as he began concentrating on lowering the jumper through the roof into the jumper bay.

When John realized that Aiden's paintball invitation made the third time they'd done something together this week, he smiled. Maybe they could recover their relationship after all.


	50. L is For the Way You Look at Me

**A/N:** Wow. :cough: Has it really been two months? :wince: So sorry guys. I've decided that deadlines are made to be missed because, looking back, I saw that I promised this would be done by Christmas, then by Spring Break, and then by summer... It is now summer. lol. The good news is, there are only 8 more chapters after this one. And I'm far enough ahead that if I post one each Wednesday(mah new posting day), we should be able to finish the rest of the story out without skipping any weeks. :D Thank you all for your patience and your faithfulness. I love y'all. :D

* * *

**Sixteen Years Old - February 2023**

_"You're the one I've always thought of. I don't know how, but I feel sheltered in your love. You're where I belong. And when you're with me, if I close my eyes, there are times I swear I feel like I can fly. For a moment in time, somewhere between the heavens and earth I'm frozen in time, oh, when you say those words. When you say you love me, the world goes still, so still inside. And when you say you love me, for a moment, there's no one else alive." - Josh Groban, "When You Say You Love Me"_

"C'mon, Mom!" Aiden begged. "_Louie's_ seen it, for crying out loud."

"Louie's mom lets him watch and do a lot of things I won't let you do, Aiden," Evie countered.

"John's seen it."

"I'm not John's mother."

"Please?"

"John, feel free to step in here at any time," Evie said.

John glanced up from the comics section of the latest newspaper that had found its way through the Gate. "Aiden, take 'no' for an answer," he said. He then promptly returned his attention to Garfield.

Evie rolled her eyes at her husband. "Why do you even want to watch it so badly?" she asked Aiden.

"'Cause it's awesome. It's got _Jason Jackson _in it, Mom. You know he's my favorite action star."

"Yeah, and it's got sex and boobs and people getting their heads blown off, too," she pointed out.

"…so?"

Evie shook her head. "Alright, we'll settle this the guy way. If you can take me down, you can watch that movie."

John looked up from the antics of Bucky and Satchel.

"Mom, I'm like twice as big as you… Deal." He reached his hand out to shake on it and Evie grabbed his wrist and attempted to yank him forward. Aiden was caught off-guard, but all he had to do was lean his weight back to keep her from pulling him towards her.

Aiden chuckled as she kept tugging futilely. "Having fun, Mom?" he teased.

Realizing her strength wasn't going to overcome his dead weight, Evie decided to go for something different that almost always worked with John. She stopped pulling on his arm and the second she did, he yanked her forward -- which was what she'd been counting on. Her shortness finally being an advantage, Evie twisted and ducked under his arm so she was behind him. A swift kick to the back of his knee and a forceful shove between his shoulder blades sent him tumbling to the floor. Before Aiden had a chance to recover, Evie was on top of him, sitting on his lower back. She quickly grabbed his right arm and forced it behind his back.

Aiden struggled to shake her off for several seconds, glaring at John's amused smirk.

"Say uncle," Evie demanded, pressing his arm down harder.

"Ow! Uncle!" Aiden cried in defeat.

Evie released his arm and got off her son. "Your father always falls for that one, too," she said, reaching a hand down to Aiden.

"I do not," John said defensively.

"Yes, you do. And you curse my shortness every time. Then you kick my butt at stick-fighting. Now, Aiden, I want you to give that movie back to whatever Marine you borrowed it from."

"It's Ronon's."

Evie snorted. "Figures." Remembering something, she looked at her watch. "Aiden, you don't have time for a movie anyway. Aren't you supposed to be taking Rachel on y'all's big Valentine's Day date in, like, half an hour?"

Aiden looked at his own watch. "Oh, yeah! I gotta go get the stuff we're taking for dinner! Bye, Mom! Bye, John!" He dashed out the door.

"Honey, wait, wait, wait!" Evie called, rushing out after him. "Who's taking you two in the jumper?"

"Aunt Summer!" he called back.

"Okay. Have fun. And be safe!"

"We will."

XXXXXX

Just a little over half an hour later, Rachel, Aiden, and Summer landed on the mainland near a lake Aiden had scouted a few days before; he'd been planning this date for weeks. "Now I'm not going to follow you two around," Summer promised. "I'm going to sit here in the shade and read my book. So I want you to stay where I can see you."

"That's it?" Aiden asked.

Summer nodded and waved her hands at them. "You're free. Shoo."

Aiden grinned. "C'mon, Rachel, let's get that canoe into the water."

Aiden had arranged earlier to borrow a canoe from Halling and the Athosian man had left the boat tied to a tree just a few feet from where they'd camped. The two teens managed to get the small canoe safely out onto the large lake. Summer knew they could both swim, and therefore didn't force them to put on lifejackets. She did, however, repeat that they not paddle the canoe past where they could still see her. She was fine with giving them privacy, but they were still two teenagers on an alien planet, and she wasn't about to let anything happen to them.

After remembering to put on some sunscreen, they paddled around for about twenty minutes, talking and laughing and marveling at the tiny two-headed turtle that swam up beside the boat.

When they passed under an overhanging _secoa_ tree, Aiden cautiously stood up and tried to grab one of the pink and white flowers for Rachel. When he reached, the canoe leaned toward the water.

"Careful, Aiden!" Rachel said, clutching the sides of the boat.

"What's the matter?" Aiden said, starting to deliberately rock from side to side.

"You're gonna flip the canoe."

"No, I won't," he scoffed.

"Aiden, stop," Rachel said worriedly. "You're going to tip the whole canoe over."

"Am not," he said, continuing to shift his weight, rocking the boat faster now.

"Please stop."

"Or what?" he said with a mischievous grin.

"Or I'll push you in."

"No, you won't."

"Stop rocking the boat," she said again.

Aiden shifted his weight to the left, causing that side of the canoe to tip dangerously close to the water.

With an annoyed frown, Rachel leaned forward and shoved him. His weight was already unbalanced enough that her push was all it took. With a startled cry, Aiden fell into the lake.

Rachel gripped the sides of the canoe, which was rocking violently, and watched with a smug smile as Aiden floundered to the surface.

He coughed up a bit of water and wiped his hair out of his face. "I can't believe you did that, you freak!" he exclaimed.

"I _told_ you to stop," she said, justifying her actions.

"Yeah, well, now you're gonna get it," he said, swimming closer to the canoe. He grabbed her wrist and began pulling.

"Aiden, don't!" she cried, her giggles belying her anger. When she reached her other hand out to try to pry off his fingers, he grabbed that wrist as well. "Aiden, I don't wanna get we-- Ahh!" She tumbled out of the canoe and into the cold water with a shriek.

When Rachel's head bobbed above the surface of the water a moment later, Aiden couldn't help by laugh at her angry expression.

"It's not _funny_!" she cried, punching his shoulder.

"Ow."

"I wasn't ready to get wet," she insisted, treading water.

"Oh, come on. You've got your swimsuit on, right?"

"So?"

"And the water feels good. We were gonna go swimming later, anyways," he pointed out.

She sighed. "Fine. But…" She swam closer to him and put her hands on his shoulders. Then she pushed him down, and quickly moved a hand to the top of his head and shoved him down further, dunking him completely.

When he came back up, he asked, "Feel better now?"

She smiled. "Much."

He pulled off his wet t-shirt and slung it into the boat. When he saw Rachel blush a little, he said, "What? We're _swimming_; you expect me to keep it on?"

She shook her head and decided to take hers off as well.

When Aiden saw the modest one-piece, he teased, "No bikini?"

Rachel blushed again. "Bikinis are for slutty girls. Besides, I had to beg my dad just to get a halter-top suit. He said something about how impressionable young boys get easily excited by lots of skin." She winked.

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Sounds like your dad. C'mon, I bet we can climb up those rocks over there and jump off 'em."

"I'll race you there," she challenged

"Oh, you're so on."

XXXXXX

It was nearly two hours later before Rachel and Aiden paddled the canoe back to the beach.

"You two have fun?" Summer asked, putting a bookmark between the pages of her fantasy novel.

"We had a blast," Rachel said, toweling her wet hair. "Did you see us jumping off those rocks?" She pointed.

"I did. Looked like fun." Summer smiled. "Are you two about ready for dinner? I set up everything for you guys."

"You're the best, Aunt Summer," Aiden said. He took Rachel's hand and led her to the place where Summer had prepared dinner for the couple. She had laid out a large blanket a little ways up the beach to give them a little privacy. The spot had been selected so that the trees would not block their view of the approaching sunset, and Summer had also gotten a small fire going, knowing that Aiden had brought supplies to make s'mores.

The two sat down and Aiden began pouring her a drink. "Is that cherry pie?" Rachel asked, eyeing the goodies that were spread out on the blanket.

"Well, I know it's your favorite," Aiden answered.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're the best boyfriend in the whole world."

"Just the world?" he teased.

"Fine. In two galaxies, then. Now may I please have some of those strawberries?"

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

"Everybody else is still at dinner… We could just go back to the rec room and snuggle some more," John suggested desperately.

"Nothing you say will distract me from finding Rodney and telling him you cried in the movie, John," Evie maintained.

"I did _not_ cry!" John insisted. "Crying is when you have tears coming down your face. I…teared up. That's different. I can tear up in a chick flick and still retain my masculinity."

Evie smirked. "Rodney won't think so."

"I'll take back your present," he threatened.

She stopped walking. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you; it's a surprise."

"Is it jewelry?"

"I just said I'm not going to tell you."

"But I need to know."

"Why?"

"Because if it's something stupid, I won't care if you take it back, and I'll just tell Rodney anyway."

"Why would I buy you something stupid?"

"John." She gave him a look. "Do you remember what you got me on our second Valentine's Day?"

"Hey, _all_ the women in _all_ the fashion magazines were wearing them!"

"It was still stupid."

"Fine. You go and tell Rodney and I will just give somebody else your copy of _The Wish to Forget_ that I got _signed by the author_."

Evie gasped and her eyes lit up. "You didn't!" she squealed. "I've been _dying_ for that book to come out."

"I know."

"You still gonna give it to me?"

"If you promise not to tell Rodney."

"I promise." They started walking again. "I got you something, too. It's in my quarters."

"Is it something stupid?"

"I've never gotten you anything stupid," she answered.

"Yes, you did. The first birthday present you ever got me was that _awful_--"

"Lalala, can't hear you!" Evie said loudly, putting her hands over her ears. "Not talking about this!"

John laughed.

* * *

"You know how Lantea has two moons?" Rachel asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I wonder what it would be like if this solar system had two suns. What would the sunset look like then?" she mused.

"I don't know… But I bet it wouldn't look as awesome as this," Aiden replied. The sun was just a golden sliver on the horizon, and the sky was filled with beautiful shades of pink and red and orange.

Rachel scooted closer to him and lay her head on his shoulder.

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "You smell like lakewater," he commented.

"Yeah, well, so do you."

"Rachel?"

"Hmm?"

"C'mere."

She lifted her head with another questioning "Hmm?"

Gently placing his hand on her shoulder, Aiden leaned in and kissed her.

Pleased, Rachel brought a hand to his face and kissed him back. When he ran his hand lightly down her arm, Rachel shivered and made the softest of noises. He'd touched her before, but it was different, more intimate, with his fingers against the soft, bare skin of her shoulder. He ghosted his fingertips down her arm again and she sighed and melted further into the kiss.

Aiden moved his hand from her arm to rest on her waist. When Rachel didn't object to this contact, he slid it down to her hip.

Rachel quickly pulled away with an uncertain, "Aiden?"

"Sorry," he murmured, removing his hand from her completely.

"I'm just not ready," she said softly.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Rachel slipped her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. They'd had a very candid conversation about three months ago when they'd realized that their relationship was getting a little more serious. Rachel had laid out in no uncertain terms where she was and was not comfortable being touched, and Aiden had agreed to respect that. Still, Rachel knew at times that he wanted more than she was ready to give.

"Wanna make s'mores now?"

Rachel smiled. "Sounds great."

* * *

"I haven't had a chance to wrap it yet, I hope that's okay," Evie said as they neared her quarters.

"That's fine." He commanded the doors open for her and she smiled. When they stepped inside and she turned on the lights, she was met by the strange sight of a bunch of red, white, and pink balloons covering the floor of her room.

"John, why are there a hundred balloons in my quarters?" she asked, staring at them.

"Because this is more creative than a love letter." He kicked a balloon toward her. "Pop it."

Evie gave him a strange look, then jumped on the balloon, which exploded loudly. She saw a small, curled up piece of paper in the pink, plastic carcass of the dead balloon. She picked it up and read it out loud. "'I will always love you.'" She smiled. "John, did you put something in _each_ of these balloons?" He nodded. "I have to pop them _all_?"

"There's only seventeen, Evie," he pointed out. "Not a hundred."

"Okay." She was about to grab a red one and pop it, but she paused. "Why are there seventeen?"

"Because that's how many years we've been married."

She smiled adoringly. "Seventeen years and you can still surprise me, John." Then she turned and began attacking the balloons.

Sixteen pops later, their ears were ringing and Evie was holding sixteen small slips of paper. After a moment, she realized that John had color-coordinated the balloons with the compliments. In the red balloons, he'd written things he loved about her. _I love the way you laugh at my jokes…even when they aren't funny. I love the way you kiss me on the lips. I love the way you jump into my arms when you hug me. I love the way you snuggle with me when we watch a movie. I love the way you saved yourself for me. _

In the white ones, he recalled some of their most significant memories. _Remember the first time I told you I loved you? Remember the song I wrote for you? Remember our first kiss? Remember when I had to talk to your dad? Remember when I asked you to marry me? Remember Venalia? _

And in the pink ones, he expressed how much he loved her. _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine… You make my life worth living. You are my everything. You make me feel alive. I want to be with you forever. _

"Wow." Evie said when she was done reading them all. "This is… I'm gonna have to frame these." She kissed him lovingly. "Did you come up with this all by yourself?"

"Well…the balloons were actually Aiden's idea," John confessed. "But I wrote all of them myself."

Evie shook her head in amazement. "Even after all these years you can still blow me away by being completely romantic." She kissed him again. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." They shared another, longer kiss.

"Wanna get some dinner now?" she asked a moment later.

"Dinner sounds great." Most Valentines Days past, they'd just grabbed some food and brought it back to one of their quarters, locking themselves in for the night, but they were finally past the point where everything had to be celebrated with hot sex. "The mess hall should be empty by now, so maybe we can even sit at the same table and do something crazy, like hold hands," he teased.

Evie smiled.

* * *

"That one looks like a Wraith," Aiden, pointing at a cluster of bright stars.

Rachel giggled. "I'm not seeing it." They had put their now-dry clothes back on and were lying beside each other on the blanket, looking up at the stars.

"See, he's holding his hand up. And for some reason he's only got one leg."

Rachel laughed. "Oh, now I see it! What about that one? I call it 'Constellious Jumperus.'"

"And so shall it be," Aiden said dramatically.

Rachel laughed again. Then she rolled over and gently rested her head on his chest. "You ready to go home yet?" she asked tiredly.

"Why, are you sick of me?" he teased.

"No," she said, draping her arm lazily across his body. "I'm just tired. And I have to Gate to Earth tomorrow morning before school, remember? For my piano lesson."

"Oh, yeah. We'll go in just a minute."

When she idly drummed her fingers on his chest, Aiden gently brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.

Rachel felt her stomach flutter at the contact. For some reason, it seemed a far more intimate gesture than when he'd kissed her lips earlier.

"I love you."

They'd been dating for over a year, and Aiden had never said those words before. Neither of them had. They'd seen enough movies and TV shows to know that that phrase was thrown around without sincerity way too much. They'd agreed not to say it at all until they really meant it.

Rachel thought for a minute, then answered softly, "I love you, too."


	51. Sweet Sixteen?

**Sixteen Years Old - March 2023**

_"Do you ever want to run away? Do you lock yourself in your room with the radio on turned up so loud that no one hears you screaming? No, you don't know what it's like when nothing feels alright. You don't know what it's like to be like me, to be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark, to be kicked when you're down, to feel like you've been pushed around, to be on the edge of breaking down, and no one's there to save you. No, you don't know what it's like. Welcome to my life." - Simple Plan, "Welcome to my Life" _

"Welcome back, Colonel," Rodney greeted with a smile.

"_Brigadier General_," John corrected with an irrepressible grin.

"Oh! Right." Rodney nodded. "'General Sheppard,'" he said, trying out the sound of John's new rank. "I'll have to get used to that." He snorted. "But with my luck, by the time I'm used to calling you 'General', you'll have been promoted again." John grinned and Rodney asked, "What comes after General?"

"God," John joked.

"Ah. Well, if you ever make it that far, I want my very own planet to retire on, with all the coffee and chocolate and doughnuts I could ever want."

"I'll make that a top priority," John said, with mock seriousness.

Rodney smiled slightly and then returned to working on the doodad in front of him. "So, remind me again why we didn't have the promotion ceremony here?" he asked.

John straightened and smiled proudly. "Because I was honored and promoted by President Beckerdite _herself_," he announced.

"Was it weird?"

"What? Meeting the President?"

Rodney nodded.

"No… Why?"

"She's a woman."

"That's very astute of you, Rodney," John teased.

Rodney gave the pilot his usual eye-roll. "I just meant… Well, she's the first woman president we've had."

"You have no issues with Elizabeth being in charge here," John observed. "_She_'s a woman."

"Very astute of you, General," Rodney mimicked.

Now it was John who rolled his eyes. "Well, I think you'd have liked her. She was kinda hot. Blonde, too."

A smile tugged at the corners of Rodney's lips. "Really now?"

XXXXXX

After about an hour of catching up with Rodney, John found Evie eating lunch with the rest of her team. Colonel Donovan was the first one out of his chair, greeting his CO with a smile. "Welcome back, sir," he said, offering his hand, which John shook.

"Good to be back, Colonel."

"How was Earth, sir?" Summer asked when it was her turn, and she hugged him.

"Very fast-paced and most everybody was rude," he shrugged. "But the President was actually very nice."

"I don't follow Earth politics much," Michael said, standing up for his turn to greet John. "Has she done anything _amazing_?"

"She let a bill pass that lowered the national minimum drinking age to seventeen."

"Why?"

"Well, since they've integrated inertial dampening into all the new cars now, drunk drivers don't cause so much damage. And she said that if the kids are getting into alcohol in college anyways and binge drinking and doing dumb stuff under the influence, it'd be better for them to learn to be responsible with it when they've still got a year left at home." He was standing in front of Evie now and he could tell by the way she was trying not to look too excited that she'd missed him a lot. "Hey."

"Hey."

He hugged her gently, but quickly let go when he felt Donovan's eyes on him. "I guess I'll let you guys finish eating," he said, but didn't turn to leave.

Donovan wanted to roll his eyes at the meaningful look they were so obviously sharing. "Okay, I can feel the sexual tension _over here_," he finally said. "Major, why don't you take the rest of the day off? Just…" He made a shooing motion with his hands.

John raised a questioning eyebrow at the colonel, who gave a barely perceptible nod. John couldn't contain his grin as he grabbed Evie's hand and headed for the transporter. There were a number of reasons he held her hand as they left; Donovan had been the last person he wasn't sure about, they didn't have far to go and weren't likely to run into anybody, Norrington was Earthside. But it was mostly because he'd missed her so much and wanted to be touching her somehow.

As soon as they were in the transporter Evie pulled him into a tight hug, and he returned the embrace. "Don't go away for a month again, baby," she whispered. "I almost went crazy."

"Missed you too," he smiled, then tilted her head up for a kiss.

It was several heated moments later before John realized he'd never touched a destination on the transporter map.

"So, you have to tell me all about your trip," Evie said when he released her and activated the transporter.

"I will tell you every last boring detail…but am I going to sound like a jerk if I ask if we can--"

Evie cut him off, saving him from having to ask. "We can if you promise to take me out to dinner."

The transporter doors opened.

"Deal."

XXXXXX

"So…will that be…worth the hassle of…trying to take me out to dinner… discreetly?" Evie asked a half-hour later.

John, still blissed out and panting, eyes closed, managed, "_Hell_ yes."

They lay there in silence for several minutes before Evie rolled over and slid her hand gently up his chest. "You ready for round two?" she murmured, nipping the top of his elf ear.

"Good grief, woman, can you give me _five_ minutes?" he asked, still breathing hard. "Or, like, a half hour?"

Evie giggled. "What's the matter, John?" she teased. "Aren't you up for the challenge?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, nice double entendre."

"C'mon, baby. You bounced back this fast when we first got married."

"Seventeen _years_ ago!"

She bent over and whispered something in his ear and John quickly perked up.

"Ever the sexy vixen," he murmured, pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

A few minutes later, John realized that he should get what they needed while he was still thinking coherently. He fumbled for a moment with the drawer of Evie's bedside table, trying to get it open, and then began searching blindly for the necessary item. When his hand could not find the small foil packet in the near-empty drawer, he gently pushed Evie off him. "Sweetheart, I thought you said we had one left," he murmured, rolling over to seek with his eyes.

"We do," Evie said impatiently, trailing her fingertip down his spine.

He shivered under her touch. "You know I don't like using these things…" he complained, shifting through all the junk Evie kept in her drawer.

"Well now that you're home, I'll get back on the pill," Evie promised. "You were gone for over a month and I didn't feel like dealing with birth control for no reason."

"Well, I can't find another one," he sighed, shutting the drawer.

"Well, I guess somebody stole it then," Evie joked.

"Why would somebody steal _that_ from you? Hell, who would even know where you keep them?"

There was a moment's pause before they shared a horrified look of realization, answering at the same time, "Aiden."

* * *

"You're sure that no one knows you're here?" Rachel asked hesitantly; she had willingly agreed to this, but she was still extremely nervous.

Aiden nodded. "Well, except for my mom," he answered as he joined his girlfriend on her bed. "But I just told her that I wanted to talk to you. And she trusts me, so…" He shrugged.

"Good." Rachel smiled and gave him a "come hither" look. Aiden grinned boyishly and pulled her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. After a moment, he began trailing kisses down Rachel's neck, much to her delight. "Just promise me that my parents will never find out," she said softly when she felt him begin pawing the hem of her shirt.

"I promise," he murmured into her neck. When his shaking hands had successfully removed her blouse, he leaned back to admire her. "Mmm," he growled. "You are so beautiful, Rachel."

Rachel blushed. "Well," she said shyly, "I just hope that I ca--"

The door suddenly whooshed open. With a startled cry, Rachel grabbed the sheets and pulled them around herself. Aiden looked up in horror and saw his father standing in the doorway. "J-John? What the he--"

"Aiden Nathaniel, get over here _right now_," John ordered harshly.

Aiden suddenly began to feel sick. "But, John, I--"

"Now!" John roared.

With a frightened glance over to Rachel, Aiden sheepishly slid off the bed and timidly walked over to his father.

"Sorry, Rachel," John apologized gently to the young lady who looked ready to cry. Grabbing his son's collar, he dragged Aiden down the long hall to his quarters. He shoved the boy roughly inside, whacking the back of his head as he did so. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" he yelled.

"_Me_?!" Aiden cried, furious. "What about you?! You can't just go bursting into people's private lives and ruining everything!"

"I _can_ when it's my son and he's about to do something stupid," John firmly corrected.

"Oh come on!" Aiden said, rolling his eyes. "I'm almost seventeen an--"

"And what?" John shot back. "And that means you can do whatever the hell you want?"

"It means I'm man enough to sleep with my girlfriend if I want to!" Aiden retorted.

"Having sex does _not_ make you a man," John reprimanded harshly.

"You are so full of it!" Aiden cried. "How old were you when you first did it, huh?"

"Let's not bring up all of _my_ past mist--"

"How old?" Aiden insisted, louder this time.

John sighed. "Sixteen," he muttered after a pause.

"See!" Aiden crowed, pointing an accusatory finger at his father. "So you have no right to tell _me_ that I ca--"

"And it's one of my biggest regrets, dammit!" John snapped angrily. Aiden rolled his eyes. "No, I mean it," John said, attempting to reduce his volume to that of an "inside voice." "If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have done it; no way were either of us mature enough at the time. When you're an adult, it's a different story. Just trust me on this one, neither you _or_ Rachel are ready for this."

"Isn't that for us to decide?" Aiden asked with a sneer.

"Not while you're under your mother's and my authority, it's not," John answered.

Aiden shook his head and muttered something under his breath. "So, what, I'm supposed to stay a virgin forever?" In a high-pitched voice, he joked, "'No, sorry, I'm waiting for marriage.'"

John smiled, thinking of Evie. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

Aiden snorted. "Oh, what, like you did?" he scoffed.

"No," John said, shaking his head. "Like your mother did."

Aiden looked back up at his father. "She did? Really?"

"Really. She'd made a promise to herself and wouldn't let me have her until the religious leader on Venalia said it was official."

"Didn't it drive you crazy?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hell, yeah!" John chuckled. "I wanted her _bad_, but the wait was worth it."

"But…she would've had no idea what she was doing," Aiden said hesitantly.

"Oh, she didn't know jack," John said with a laugh. "But she learned." He grinned in remembrance.

Aiden made a face. Then he asked skeptically, "So, you're saying I should wait until I'm married?"

"I'm not going to force you to that commitment, but you _are_ going to wait a few more years," John said firmly.

Aiden sighed. "Whatever. Can I go now?"

John shook his head. "No. _You_ are staying here," he ordered. "_I_ am going to talk to your mother."

Aiden tried to follow him out the door. "John, you can't--"

"I _can_," John answered harshly, blocking his son from leaving his quarters. "Don't make me drag an SF down here to babysit you."

Aiden's eyes flashed in anger. "You have no right t--"

John reached a hand up to his earpiece. "This is General Sheppard, I need an SF in Aiden Brooks' quarters."

Aiden muttered obscenities under his breath while John waited for the SF to arrive.

A few minutes later, a uniformed man approached them. "Yes, sir?" he addressed John.

"I need you to see to it that this young man stays confined to his quarters, Lieutenant," John answered.

"Yes, sir," the man nodded.

Aiden's colorful insults were cut off as the SF waved his hand in front of the sensor, shutting and then locking the door.

XXXXXX

"They did what?!"

"What the _hell_ were they thinking?!"

"She should know better than that!"

"They _both_ should!"

"What exactly were they doing when you caught them? Oh, lord, they weren't naked, were they?"

John was swarmed with questions from Carson and Laura as he and Evie tried to explain what had nearly transpired between their two children. "No, they weren't naked," he assured them quickly. "But…" John winced as he realized that in his current state of fury Carson could probably take him.

"But what?" Carson prodded anxiously.

"Rachel had her shirt off," John mumbled in a rush.

Laura's eyes widened and Carson looked like he was about to murder something. "I'll kill him!" the doctor cried, furious. "He touched her! The lit'le bastard tried to seduce my daughter!"

"Easy, Carson," John said, cutting off the rest of the colorful Scottish threats. "It takes two to tango. I don't want to impugn Rachel's honor, but it _did_ look like she was consenting."

Carson rubbed a hand over his face. "Where did we go _wrong_?"

Laura patted her husband on the arm. "So what do we do with them?" she asked.

"Ground them!" Carson asserted. "Ground them 'til they're twenty-one!"

"Twenty-one's a little harsh, Carson," John said gently, "but grounding them until further notice would be a good start."

Evie nodded. "And I don't think they should be around each other until they've both cooled off and had time to think about things."

The other three parents nodded. "Speaking of 'cooling off,'" John spoke up, turning to Evie, "you should probably go check on Aiden. He was really pissed when I left that SF in charge of him."

Evie nodded and, with an apologetic smile to Carson and Laura, turned to go, leaving them to further discuss what had happened.

When Evie reached her son's quarters, she dismissed the SF and politely knocked, rather than barging in. "It's Mom," she called.

There was silence for a long while, then finally Aiden grumbled, "Come in." When Evie entered, she saw Aiden sitting on the bed throwing darts at the board John had gotten him several years ago. "What do _you_ want?" he asked.

"Well, John said you were pretty mad and I wan--"

"Where _is_ John?" Aiden interrupted worriedly.

"Talking to Carson and Laura," Evie answered, frowning at her son.

"He's _what_?!" Aiden cried, suddenly feeling nauseous.

"And he says since they're grounding Rachel, you're under house arrest as well," Evie added.

"What?! He can't do that!" Aiden yelled, furious.

"We can and we have," Evie said firmly.

His hands curling into fists, Aiden snarled, "If Carson doesn't murder me first, I swear I'll kill John…"

Evie sighed. "I don't want to hear your death threats. Now, yo-- Where are you going?" she asked when he got up off his bed and began walking determinedly towards the door.

"To talk to Dr. Weir," he muttered.

"About what?" Evie asked, a slight feeling of nervousness settling over her. Aiden didn't answer, silently commanding the door open. "Aiden?" she called, following after him. "Aiden!" He began walking faster and Evie moved to catch up with him. "What are you doing, Aiden?" she asked worriedly.

"Punishing him," he growled.

"Aiden--" She placed a hand on her son's arm but he jerked away and began running for the transporter. "Aiden!" She ran after him.

As his legs were longer than hers, he beat her to it and touched the node on the screen that would take him closest to Elizabeth's office. Evie reached the transporter just as the doors closed. "Darn it!" she cried, slamming her fist against the door.

By the time she had successfully transported across the city and reached Weir's office, Aiden was already inside, talking with Elizabeth. Sighing heavily, she knocked on the door. "I'll be with you in a moment, Major," Elizabeth called. Evie chewed her bottom lip nervously as she watched the animated conversation through the window.

After a few minutes, Aiden opened the door and stepped out. "Aiden?" The teen refused to meet his mother's eyes. "What did you do?" Evie breathed.

"Major, would you come in please?" Elizabeth called.

Evie looked worriedly from Elizabeth back to her son.

"And close the door behind you."


	52. Busted

**Sixteen Years Old - March 2023**

_"I got to get away, get away from all of my mistakes. It just hit me this is more then just a set back. And when you spelled it out, well, I guess I didn't get that. And every trace of momentum is gone. And this isn't turning out the way I want. And after all of my alibis desert me, I just want to get by, I don't want nothing to hurt me. I had no idea where my head was at, but if my heart says I'm sorry can we leave it at that? Because I just want for all of this to end." - Relient K, "I So Hate Consequences"_

"General Sheppard, please report to Dr. Weir's office," came Elizabeth's voice over the radio.

"Can it wait?" John asked from the infirmary, where he was still talking with Carson and Laura.

"No. It can't."

John sighed and began the trek to Elizabeth's office. When he got there, he passed a very worried-looking Rodney waiting outside the door. He raised a querying brow, but Rodney just gestured to Weir's office. Perplexed, John entered and saw Evie sitting in a chair in front of Elizabeth's desk. Her eyes were downcast and Elizabeth's expression was grave.

"Somebody die?" John asked, closing the door and approaching her desk.

Elizabeth shook her head, scooting her chair closer to the desk. "It has been brought to my attention," she began solemnly, "that you have been having an intimate and inappropriate relationship with Major Brooks, an officer under your command." John looked at the floor and said nothing. "John?" Elizabeth prodded after a minute.

"Who's the snitch?" he asked, still not meeting her gaze.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer, thought better of it, and closed her mouth, pursing her lips. "That doesn't matter. But, John, I knew."

John slowly lifted his head to look at her and cocked his eyebrow.

She smiled lightly. "I'm sure the whole colony knows," she chuckled. "Over the years, I picked up on all the subtle signals. And some of the not-so-subtle ones," she explained with an amused smile. "But your relationship wasn't causing any problems and you and Evie seemed happy, so I didn't say anything." Her smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown. "But now that someone has reported catching you two--" John stiffened, "--I'm required to do something. John, I don't want to see either one of you face a court-mar--"

"I'll resign," John said, cutting her off.

Elizabeth searched his eyes. "You'd really do that for her?" she asked, the hopeless romantic in her deeply impressed.

John nodded. "I love her."

Evie watched him adoringly.

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, fortunately, your premature retirement won't be necessary." John looked at her, puzzled. "Major Brooks has already agreed to resign from the military," Elizabeth explained.

John turned around to look at his wife, eyebrows raised. Evie nodded. He was speechless for a minute. She was giving up the rest of her military career for him… "Evie," he began, "a-are you sure?"

She nodded. "Your job's more important than mine anyway," she assured him with a genuine smile, having already thrown a small fit a few minutes before.

"Evie, I…" He trailed off, at a loss for words.

After watching them share a meaningful look, Elizabeth cleared her throat to regain their attention. "I'm sure there will be an impossible amount of paperwork, but I'm going to do my best to see to it that she is allowed to stay in Atlantis. Of course…this request would go over much better with the IOA if you two, y'know…" John just stared at her, as if waiting for a punch line. "Made it official," she clarified. "If you claim her as a dependent spouse--"

"Oh!" Realization dawned on John. "Right. We'll…" He smiled at Evie. "We'll do that as soon as her terminal leave is up."

Elizabeth nodded, typing a few commands into her laptop. "It looks like she has… twenty-seven days of vacation left, so…"

Evie frowned. "A month? A whole month? Can't we just get it all over with so I can get back to what's left of my life?"

Elizabeth looked a little surprised. "Well… I suppose if you want to forfeit that paid leave, the Air Force could expedite the outprocessing…"

"You tell them they can keep the pay if I'm out by the end of the week."

"I'll see what I can do," Elizabeth said, typing a note to herself on her laptop.

"Wait a minute," John said. "A minute ago you said I'd have to claim her as a _dependent_ spouse. Isn't she still going to be here doing her job, but as a civilian?"

Evie sighed and looked down.

"Unfortunately, everyone on this base is paid by the Air Force, as you know," Elizabeth answered. "If she retires, she'll no longer be on their payroll. She'll also be taken off of Colonel Donovan's team."

"So, what, she just _lives_ here?" John asked, incredulous. "She stays on base and plays the good little housewife?"

Evie shot him a look at the term.

"She and I have already discussed several positions in the city that she could take," Elizabeth explained calmly. "The most likely is her being Dr. Murphy's assistant."

"You're gonna schlep for Michael now?" John asked her.

"Better than scrubbing toilets, dear, which is a job she _did_ offer me."

He turned back to Elizabeth. "I don't see why she can't keep the job she has now."

"You _do_ realize that you two are getting an incredible break due to the relaxed military protocol here, right? Or would you prefer to discuss this with Colonel Norrington?"

John sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, okay…" He thought for a minute. "So this is it? She signs all the paperwork, she quits her team, she waits for the Air Force to proclaim it done and then…that's it? Then we can…"

"Come out of the proverbial closet?" Elizabeth finished with a smile. "Yes. Though don't be shocked when no one on the whole base is surprised that you two are 'suddenly' hooking up." She made air quotes with her fingers.

John's head started spinning at the thought. No more hiding… no more lying… Sure they hadn't been the best at being careful, but _trying_ to keep their secret had been probably the biggest struggle of his life. He turned to Evie, a hundred different emotions written on his face.

"General Sheppard?" Radek's voice came over the radio, killing the moment. "This is Zelenka. We need you in the jumper bay immediately."

John keyed his radio. "Are you serious?" he said, indignant at the interruption.

"…Yes."

John sighed and Evie spoke up. "Go, John. I still need to talk to Dr. Weir about some other things. Then I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

With a sad hand wave to his wife, John reluctantly left Elizabeth's office.

XXXXXX

It took John nearly two hours to escape the clutches of Zelenka and his team. When he entered Evie's quarters, he didn't see her. Then he noticed that the door to the balcony was open. He walked over to the open doorway and saw Evie sitting between the highest and the second highest rail, her legs hanging over the front of the railing, with the toes of her shoes tucked back under one of the middle rails to anchor her. He walked silently out onto the balcony and sat next to her, mimicking her pose. She didn't acknowledge him, continuing to stare out over the ocean.

They sat in silence for several long minutes, watching the waves. It was John who finally spoke first, asking, "Whatcha doing?"

"Thinking." Her eyes stayed on the sea.

"Oh. So…what'd you and Elizabeth talk about after I left?"

"Oh, there was no talking. She called Rodney in and basically berated us for twenty minutes about how we shouldn't have come up with that huge lie when Aiden came along."

"What'd Rodney say?"

"Several things, but mostly he just repeated, 'It all happened so fast' over and over."

John chuckled. "_This_ seems to be happening a little fast, too…" he said, making a bridge to what needed to be addressed.

"Yeah…"

"Are you _sure_ you want to retire?"

She nodded. "It'll be a huge adjustment, but yeah. Like I said, your job is more important. _General_."

"Right. I'm a General now. I'm probably not going to get any higher, and I don't even know how much groundwork they'll let me do anymore. Plus, I can retire with a much higher pay now. Maybe _I_ should…"

Evie chuckled. "You know, fifteen years ago -- heck, _five_ years ago, neither one of us was willing to retire for the other and now we're fighting over who gets to do it."

"I just don't want you making a choice you'll regret," he said.

"John… This is what I want. I want you and Aiden and I want us to be a family. And if that means being Michael's gofer and working the Hobart in the kitchen, then I'll do it."

"But you've already sacrificed so much."

"_Me_? What about you? You and Aiden's relationship is so messed up." She shook her head. "That's what I've always regretted most."

He paused a moment. "If you had it to do over again, would you do it differently?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's a dumb question, John."

"What would you change?"

"I'd never join the Air Force. That way when I got here and fell in love with you, we wouldn't have had any issues," she answered without any delay.

"Evie, you know your chances of you ending up here if you weren't Air Force would have been slim to none."

"I guess…"

"And then I'd probably be married to Teyla instead of you."

She punched his shoulder.

"Hey! I'm just saying…"

"But Teyla would have never made you happy. You'd have lived your whole life with a me-shaped hole in your heart," she teased.

"A you-shaped hole?" he repeated.

"Yep." She smiled at him.

"You really are something amazing, you know that, right?"

She beamed at the compliment. When John leaned in to kiss her, Evie stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "John… Let's not screw up this close to the finish line. Please?"

John looked incredulous. "Who's gonna tell on us, the whale?" he exclaimed, gesturing to a _flagecallus_ that had just surfaced.

Evie laughed. "John, I'm serious. If anybody else in the military or the IOA got wind of this whole thing, we'd both get court-martialed. So let's not have sex now and blow the who--"

"Sex? I just wanna _kiss_ you! You're giving up your job for me and I find that incredibly touching and a little bit romantic. So I'm sorry if that makes me feel slightly affectionate." He crossed his arms and turned to stare at the whale.

Evie slid a hand up his arm. "Baby, I'm sorry, I just-- I'm still freaking out a little bit here."

John reached over and gently took her hand in his. "You've got good reason to freak out a little," he said softly.

"Do you think we're gonna be alright?" she asked.

"If you don't end up strangling Michael, I think we'll be great." She giggled softly. "Hey, Evie," he asked a minute later.

"Hmm?"

"When we move in together…let's use your quarters, 'cause I'm really liking your balcony."

"Mm… Living together will be nice, won't it? No more sneaking back and forth late at night. But we'll need a bigger bed," she giggled.

"See, you're the one saying how we can't blow it now, but _you're_ the one who's brought up sex twice in the last minute."

Evie rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up and kiss me."

And John did.

XXXXXX

"…and basically helping out wherever I'm needed," Evie finished.

"You…got kicked off your team?" Aiden asked, mortified.

Evie nodded. "Just thought you should know all the repercussions of your little stunt," she replied, a little harsher than she meant to.

Aiden looked down, feeling incredibly guilty. "Mom, I'm…I'm sorry," he apologized with sincerity. "I didn't know it would… I didn't want it to hurt _you_."

"I know. You were trying to punish John. But now we've _all_ got to deal with the consequences."

Aiden still wouldn't look at her, at either of them. "So…am I still grounded?"

"Indefinitely," John answered.

Aiden looked up. "But…you guys aren't going to be, like, executed. You get to be together now, just like you've always wanted. I kind of did you guys a favor!"

John chuckled mirthlessly. "You're still grounded."

"Why?"

"One, you broke our trust," John frowned. "And, two, you're still in trouble for what happened with Rachel."

Aiden scowled in frustration. After a minute he asked, "When can I see her?"

"You can _see_ her after a few days," John answered. "But know that you two aren't going to be allowed to be alone together for _months_."

Aiden looked furious, but he didn't say anything.

John glanced down at his watch and then asked Evie, "Are you two good now, or do I need to stay and be play referee some more?"

"Where are you going?"

"Elizabeth still needs to talk to me about how 'things are going to be different now that I'm a General.'"

"I think we're okay. Aiden?"

"Whatever." The teen rolled his eyes.

"Okay. Don't kill each other while I'm gone." He gave her a quick kiss and then left her quarters.

When Evie didn't immediately begin speaking again, Aiden quickly grew bored and began spinning around in circles in his mother's swivel chair. His mind came back to the event that had started all this and he said, "So, John already gave me the 'you're not ready' speech… Why are _you_ so against me and Rachel having sex?"

"For the same reason that I was a virgin until my wedding night, Aiden," she answered. "Sex isn't all about 'getting off' and feeling good. It _bonds_ you to that person. If you break up with someone you've had sex with, it's going to hurt a lot more." It was obvious by the logic and conviction behind her answer that she'd been asked this kind of question before. "And besides, sex is giving yourself completely to another person. Why would you want to give that away to someone that you might not spend the rest of your life with? John had had sex with a lot of women before me and that _hurt_, Aiden. It hurt a lot. I was crying the night he told me all their names."

"Why would he do that?" Aiden asked.

"He had to. We knew we had to be completely honest with each other if we wanted this crazy thing to have any chance of working. I told him all my mistakes, too. They weren't sex, but still…"

"So…do you want me to wait 'til I'm married?"

"Aiden… I can't make that choice for you. It's up to you. You know how I feel, and you know how I've tried to raise you. But when you're out on your own in two years, I won't be there to stop you and you'll have to decide for yourself. But as for now… Did I ever tell you the cupcake analogy?"

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "The _cupcake_ analogy?"

Evie smiled. "Okay, a healthy, happy romantic relationship is like a cupcake. The cake part is all the time you spend together. The frosting is all the _really_ special things you do together, and all the hugs and kisses. And the sprinkles are the sex."

Aiden laughed. "Okay…"

"And right now, you and Rachel don't have enough cupcake to have sprinkles."

Aiden rolled his eyes.

Looking at her watch and seeing that they still had a few hours until dinner, Evie asked, "Wanna go play a videogame or something? Or is hanging out with your mom bad for your image?"

Aiden chuckled. "We can, but you know I'll totally whoop your butt."

"Oh, what_ever_."

"Then let's go." They stood and had reached the door when Aiden said, "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I _am_ sorry."

She gave him a gentle smile. "I know, Aiden. But you know what? I actually think we're all gonna be okay."

Aiden smiled.


	53. ChChChanges

**Sixteen Years Old - March 2023**

_"I have always been a little shy. I've always been the quiet type 'til now and I never let my feelings show. I never let anybody know just how much I was so deep in love. But now that you're in my arms I'm gonna stand on a rooftop, climb up a mountaintop, baby, scream and shout. I wanna sing it on the radio, show it on a video, baby, leave no doubt. I want the whole world to know just what I'm all about. I love to love you out loud." - Rascal Flatts, "Love You Out Loud" _

Evie was getting dressed for breakfast when she heard her doors whoosh open. "Uhh…half-naked in here," she warned to whoever was foolish enough not to knock.

She rolled her eyes when she heard her husband joke, "So am I too early or too late?" She pulled her shirt on and turned to see him smiling like the proverbial cat who ate the canary. "Can I help you?"

"Your terminal leave's up!" he announced excitedly.

Evie giggled. "I half-expected you to come bursting through my door at one minute past midnight. So what do you think we should do first?"

"I think we should go make out in front of Norrington and rub it in his ugly face," John answered, only half-teasing.

Evie laughed again. "If it will make you feel better, we can. What's in the bag?" she asked, noticing for the first time that he was holding a small, fancy bag.

"I'll show you in a minute. C'mere." When Evie stepped forward, he gently pulled her dog tags from inside of her shirt. Unhooking the chain, he pulled off her engagement ring and then fastened the chain again. He slid the ring onto her finger and said proudly, "Now the whole world knows you're mine."

"I think they already do."

"Yeah, but now they _know_ know. It's either this or I stand up on the table during breakfast and proclaim my love for you to the whole city."

She chuckled. "I'm more than happy to wear the ring, John."

"Good." He picked up the bag that he had set on the floor. "Look what I got," he sing-songed, holding up two ring boxes.

"Oh, good!" Evie smiled. "I'm sorry we couldn't go pick them out together."

"It's okay," John said, sitting on the edge of her bed and handing her one of the boxes. "I got what you said you wanted, plain gold bands."

Evie opened the box and smiled at the wedding ring wedged between the velvet. "It's so shiny…"

He chuckled. "I, uhh… I asked the jeweler to do me a favor and I got the inside of yours inscribed."

She looked at him, curious, as she took the ring out of the box. Peering inside the gold band, she saw the tiny, flowing script. _Love always_. She looked up at him adoringly, then leaned over and kissed him. "You can be the most sensitive and romantic man at times," she gushed.

"I have my moments," he smiled. "I wanted him to put 'I will always love you', but the jeweler said that was too long and not poetic enough."

"I think it's wonderful." She put the ring back in the box. "So…are you ready to do this?"

"Again?" he smirked. "Yeah. Do you know if Aiden's coming?"

Evie shrugged. "I told him what time we were planning to go and said it would make me happy if he would be there. He made a big deal about _not_ showing up, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Guess we'll see. C'mon, handsome, let's go get hitched." She laughed. "Again."

John stood and offered her his arm, which she took. When they passed Summer and Michael in the hallway, Evie asked, "Hey, are y'all doing anything?"

"No… Why?" Michael asked.

"Wanna be witnesses for a marriage?"

"Are you two going to see Father Braddick?" Summer asked happily.

"We are," John replied, holding up his ring box. "Want to be our witnesses?"

"Absolutely!" Summer nodded.

A few minutes later, the four of them reached Father Braddick's office, just a few minutes after the time they'd scheduled to meet with him.

The man smiled when the saw John and Evie. "Everything's ready," he said, standing up and stretching. "Do you have rings?"

"We do," John said, taking the rings out of their boxes and placing them on the edge of the desk.

"Good. Now do you two want the usual vows or just 'do you take him?' and 'do you take her?'"

"We could do vows," John answered, adding to himself _'Again.'_

"Very well." Braddick cleared his throat. "We are gathered in the sight of God and the Murphys--" Summer stifled a giggle. "--to witness the union of these two in holy matrimony."

Evie reached for John's hands, noting with amusement that she felt no butterflies like when they'd done this seventeen years ago. She was sad, though, to see that Aiden had been true to his word and not shown up.

"Do you, John Eric Sheppard, take Evie to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?"

John smiled. "I do."

Braddick looked to Evie. "And do you, Evangeline Marie Brooks, take John to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?"

"I do."

Selecting the thinner of the two wedding bands, Braddick handed it to John, prompting, "'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

John gently slid the ring onto her finger until it was nestled against her engagement ring. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Braddick placed the thicker band in Evie's hand, giving her the same instructions, and she repeated the rite. When she saw movement in her peripheral vision, she glanced over and saw her son standing there, watching them, with an unreadable expression on his face. She wondered how long he had been standing there, but didn't say anything. John had apparently noticed him, too, and looked pleased.

Aiden had actually gotten there only a few seconds ago, but had heard most of the vows. He wasn't really sure how he should feel. He knew that his mom loved John and John loved her, and he knew that deep down inside and if he was in a _really_ good mood, he loved John. But he wasn't sure if he was ready for all these changes, the most significant one being that John would now _officially_ be his _dad_.

Aiden had zoned out when Braddick had started speaking again, but when he heard the old man say, "You can kiss her now, John," his attention was brought back to them. John leaned down and gently kissed Evie, and Aiden realized, with a slightly awkward feeling, that he'd never actually seen them kiss before. He knew that this, among other things, was just something he'd have to get used to now that things were changing. He wasn't about to run up and congratulate them both with hugs, so he stood back as they finalized things by signing the marriage license that would make their union official on Earth.

John signed first, offering a "thank you, sir" to Father Braddick.

"I'm only sorry it couldn't have happened sooner," the older man replied, proving that yes, goshdarnit, the _entire_ colony had known for ages.

John watched as Evie signed her name 'Evangeline Brooks' for the last time. Then Summer and Michael signed as the witnesses and it was done. John was sorry that he and Evie had never been able to have a traditional wedding. Though he'd never specifically asked about it, he knew she'd dreamed of a fairy tale wedding. He was happy they'd been able to at least have the ceremony on Venalia; even though this ritual now was basically the same, it had seemed warmer and more festive then…

He'd imagined several times what a lavish wedding would have been like for them. He had never pictured them getting married in a church; he thought an outside wedding suited them both better. Outside on a green lawn with trellises covered in flowers, and all their friends watching. Rodney could have been his best man, and he assumed Summer would have been the matron of honor. JoAnna would have been crying, and Hector would have been the proudest man in the world as he walked his daughter down the aisle.

John would have been wearing his dress blues and Evie would have been absolutely beautiful in a stunning dress, her hair done up in a veil. They'd have said their vows, and kissed, and gone off to some wonderful, exotic place. They wouldn't have seen many of the sights, though.

John was jerked from his reverie by Evie asking a question, apparently for the second time. "John? Do you want to go get breakfast now?"

"Sure. But I wanna swing by Rodney's lab first."

"Okay, we'll save you a seat." She waved as he left.

Even though it was just after eight in the morning, John was pretty confident that Rodney would be in his lab. He poked his head in the door and sure enough, there was McKay, looking intently at a report in his hands. "You check your e-mail yet?" John asked, and he chuckled when Rodney jumped, startled.

"Uhh…no?" Rodney looked confused. "How did you know I was in here?"

"Well, I don't want to use the word 'predictable', but…" John answered as he walked over to stand by his friend.

"I am, aren't I?" He shook his head. Reaching for his laptop, he asked, "So what is so urgent that you had to e-mail before nine o'clock in the morning?"

"Just read it."

Rodney clicked a few things and saw that John had sent him a greeting card. He clicked the link to open it and an animation popped up of a pink cat, a green bunny, and a blue…something bouncing on a giant donut. "Eat a donut a day," it sang as image after image of delectable donut crossed the screen. "And everything's gonna be okay! Eat a donut a day and everything's gonna be o-o-o-o-o-o-kay!" When the animation ended a moment later, John's message popped up, saying, "Happy Birthday, Rodney. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone how old you are."

"That was…odd," Rodney said. Suddenly he groaned. "And now that damn song is stuck in my head."

John grinned. "Happy birthday, Rodney."

Rodney closed the online greeting. "Thank you for the card, it was a very touching gesture, et cetera, et cetera…" He picked up the report again and spared a glance down at his watch. "You sure are up early for a Thursday where we're not scheduled to do anything. What have you been up to?"

"Getting married," John answered with a happy smile.

Rodney set the report down. "Seriously?"

John raised his left hand and pointed at the new ring on his fourth finger. "Seriously."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"It's not like it was a big deal," John explained. "We just went to Father Braddick and exchanged vows and had Summer and Michael sign as witnesses."

"So Evie invites _her_ best friends, but _you_ don't ask _me_ to come?" he questioned, and John wasn't sure whether he was actually hurt or just giving John a hard time.

"Sorry… But you were there the first time, and that was the important one."

This seemed to placate Rodney. "I guess. Well, welcome to the wonderful world of joint bank accounts, marriage counseling, and actually living in the same quarters as your spouse."

"We already ordered a great big bed," John grinned.

"You're disgusting."

John shrugged. Looking down at his left hand, he flexed his fingers. "It feels weird wearing this," he said, staring at the shiny gold band.

"Give it a month," Rodney said, "and it will feel weird _not_ to wear it."

John smiled.

"So, have you eaten yet?" Rodney asked. "Because I'm suddenly having a serious donut craving."

John chuckled. "No kidding? C'mon, let's go."

XXXXXX

Two days later, as John and Evie were bringing the last two boxes of John's possessions back to Evie's quarters, they ran into three _Daedalus_ crewmen who were carrying Evie's old mattress and bed-frame pieces out of her quarters. "I hope you don't mind, sir," one of the men addressed John, "but we took the liberty of setting up the new bed-frame for you."

"Oh." John looked pleased. "Thank you, Captain."

The man smiled and nodded, then continued carrying his end of the mattress down the hall.

John and Evie stepped inside their quarters and set their two boxes down, staring at the new piece of furniture. Most of the married couples had exchanged their _tiny_, smaller-than-twin-sized beds for larger, more adequate ones a few days before their weddings, so Elizabeth hadn't been surprised when John had filled out a requisition form for one.

"It's finally here!" Evie exclaimed, running over and jumping onto the new king-sized bed. She bounced up and down on it a few times. "It's so big," she commented happily, then flopped down on it. "Oh, and the mattress is _perfect_."

John crawled on beside her and tested the mattress with his hands. "I don't know… I think it needs to be broken in."

"Huh?"

John smirked.

"Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "Yes. Absolutely." She grabbed fistfuls of his jacket and pulled him down on top of her and into a passionate embrace.

"It blows my mind, John," she commented when he let her breathe a moment later, "that we can do this anytime we want now and don't have to worry about getting caught." She sighed happily when she felt his lips on the side of her neck. When he began placing sensuous, open-mouth kisses there, she moaned softly and wrapped her leg around his waist.

Neither one of them heard the doors whoosh open, but they _did_ hear their son's voice. "You know, seeing that cannot be good for me. I'm gonna grow up seriously messed up."

Evie quickly pushed John off her. "Well, maybe if you'd _knock_, we wouldn't have this problem," she answered with a frown. "What do you want?"

"Umm… I forgot."

John rolled his eyes.

"I'll come back if I remember," he said as he left quickly.

"Damn door locks that let your kid walk in anytime he wants," John muttered, resuming their intimate position from earlier.

"You should make Rodney fix it," Evie said, then giggled when John's lips tickled her ear.

"Can you please not talk about _Rodney_ while we're doing this?" he murmured and she giggled again.

The doors opened again and Aiden reentered their quarters. "I remembered!" When John didn't immediately release Evie, Aiden sighed and said, "Can you two stop raping each other and answer my question?"

John's head snapped up and he fixed a glare on Aiden. "Don't you _ever_ say that!" he growled.

Aiden looked startled at his father's outburst for a second, but then quickly went on the defensive, frowning. "Fine. Nevermind. It wasn't important anyway." He quickly left the room, sulking.

Evie sighed and let her head fall back against the mattress. She looked down and began fiddling with a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. After a moment, John asked, "You never told him, did you?"

Evie shook her head. "I don't need him looking at me like I'm broken."

He gently touched her face and waited until she finally looked at him. "You're not broken, Evie…"

"I know that. I just… He doesn't _need_ to know."

"Why not? Maybe if he did, he wouldn't make jokes like that."

"I'll tell him when I'm ready…" She looked sad.

"Hey," he said gently. "You are still perfect to me."

Evie smiled. "I know." She pushed herself up off the bed and kissed him.

XXXXXX

_"Are you serious?!" _

_"I'm sorry, John, but you know it's not up to me," Elizabeth replied gently, trying to calm him down. "I only have so much authority and even then, the IOA and the Air Force still make changes and give orders that I have to follow and live by." _

_"So I can never go on off-world missions again? I have to give up being the leader of my team?" John was livid. _

_Elizabeth shrugged apologetically as she answered, "John… I'm sorry. But the military doesn't want an Air Force general going on everyday, off-world missions where he could easily be killed. They want you here, in the city, supervising the more military side of things. But the IOA doesn't want Atlantis to be under full military control, so we're supposed to…sort of…co-command the city." _

_"We're what?" John didn't relish being in charge of things. He loved commanding his team, but…all things military on the base? _

_"I know. I didn't take the news very well either. Not that I'm trying to be the all-powerful dictator of the city or anything," she was quick to add, and was pleased when it got a half-smile from John. "I just… It's going to be a big change, John. For both of us." She tried her best to give him a reassuring smile, but it was belied by the worry written on her face and the tension evident in her body language. _

_"So…I can never go off-world with my team again?" he asked, knowing that letting go of that would be the hardest part. _

_"You can on occasion, if the situation calls for your presence in off-world matters." _

_"And who decides if the situation calls for it?" John asked wryly. _

_Elizabeth turned to look at something on her bookshelf. "The IOA, unfortunately." _

_"Of course…" Inwardly furious, John willed himself to ask, "Who will replace me?" _

_"I'm sorry?" _

_"The IOA will never let Ronon or Teyla lead the team, and Ronon sure as hell won't take orders from Rodney… So who are they getting to replace me?" _

_"The Air Force has selected someone they'd like for the position, but they said that they'll let you make the final call," Elizabeth answered. "I'd like you to talk to him. And I'd also like you to talk to your team; I know Ronon's not going to take this well." _

'None of them will,'_ John thought to himself bitterly…_

"This is so stupid," Ronon growled, idly drumming his big fingers on the tabletop.

John had broken the news to his team after dinner, keeping them at the table until most of the mess hall had cleared. Ronon, as predicted, had been pissed about it. Rodney had seemed unsurprised at the news and yet shocked by the reality of it at the same time. Loss had registered in Teyla's eyes for a moment, but then her strong façade had gone up, and she'd simply become silent. Silent-er.

"I know, I think it's stupid, too," John agreed. "I've never done change well."

"Maybe we'll just have to plan to do things off-world that requires the high-ranking military officer from Atlantis to come and save the day," Rodney said, trying to make light of the situation.

John smiled. "Much as I'd like that, I think Lorne sticks a little closer to the rules than we're all used to."

"Speaking of Lorne, doesn't he still have his own team?" Ronon asked. "How's he supposed to be our new leader?"

"Major Adams, Lorne's second, will be taking over their team," John explained. "The IOA said it was either Lorne taking my place, or somebody new that they'd bring in. They didn't want anyone lower than a colonel leading the frontline team."

Speaking for the first time since John had told them of the changes, Teyla asked somewhat optimistically, "We will still see you every day and you will be at all the briefings, will you not?"

John nodded, then added sadly, "But it won't be the same."

Ronon sighed. "This is so stupid…"

XXXXXX

"This is so stupid!" Evie cried and raised her arm to hurl the notebook across the room.

With reflexes it had taken him years off-world to acquire, Michael caught her arm and gently plucked the book from her grasp. "Evie, just calm down." He sighed. "I told you this probably wasn't a good idea. Look, umm… Why don't you… Go catalogue what we brought back from M2X-334. It's mostly household odds and ends. Just input the item number into the laptop along with--"

"A description of what it is, how it works, the alien we got it from, the planet name, blah, blah, blah. I know what I'm doing, Michael," she said, exasperated. "I've been doing this for two weeks. _Two stupid weeks_."

Michael looked offended by her harsh tone and implications. Evie's expression softened when she saw the hurt in his eyes; Michael had never been one to hide his feelings very well. "Michael, I'm sorry," she said with a tired sigh. "It's not _you_. You know I love you. Anthropology and cataloguing artifacts just isn't my thing."

"I know. But I appreciate you trying. I especially appreciate it since you're volunteering."

Evie snorted. "The Air Force said I could stay, doesn't mean they're gonna pay me to do odd jobs around the base. I mean, John's salary is enough for all three of us, but I'll go crazy if I just sit around doing nothing, so…here I am."

"And this is the…second thing you've tried doing?"

"Third. I was in the kitchen for about three days, but all I know how to cook is fajitas…"

Michael laughed. "They didn't just make you wash the dishes?"

"Oh, I still do that. I'm on the breakfast shift every morning. But Mya lets me have the weekends off, 'cause she's nice like that."

"So what was the second thing?"

"I sorted mail the first week, along with the cooking. Talk about a screw-up."

"How do you mess up sorting _mail_?" Michael asked, amused.

"I started going a little too fast and accidentally sent Dr. Jameson's reply from _Penthouse_ to Miko." Michael blushed at the subject matter and she winced. "Yeah… Not my best moment."

He gave her a friendly smile that somehow made Evie feel better in spite of everything. "Don't worry, Evie. There's something here that you'll be good at and enjoy. It's only been three weeks. You'll find your niche."

Evie returned the smile. "Thanks, Michael."

XXXXXX

"Why haven't all the frogs been caught yet?" John demanded.

"Well, sir," the new scientist -- Froderick? Fleegman? -- began nervously, "we're trying. But they're very small and very quick."

"Then pull some of the other science teams in to help. I don't care how you do it. I want every last damn frog gone."

"They're not _actually_ frogs, sir," another scientist spoke up.

John shot the dweeb a glare. The next person who corrected him was going to get whacked upside the head. "Just do it."

His order was met with a chorus of "yes sir"s as the science team quickly dispersed.

John rubbed a hand over his face. "This is ridiculous," he groaned to Mary -- now head biologist -- who was still standing next to him.

"I know," she sighed. "But the good news is, we think they're contained to this level of the city. It was very quick thinking of you to block off all the stairwells."

"It's still an entire _level_ that the teams have to sweep. Do we even know how they got in?"

"Well, this species of _amphibious mckayus_--"

"'Mckayus'?" John repeated in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Mary held her hands up. "Hey, I had a lot on my plate just trying to contain them, and I made the mistake of telling Rodney that he could name them. Anyway, these creatures had to have been laid as eggs on the mainland, so we honestly have no idea how the polliwogs--"

"_Polliwogs_?"

"Fine. Tadpoles, okay? We have no idea how the heck they swam from the mainland all the way over here. At last count, we've captured fifty-seven adult frogs."

John shook his head in disbelief. "_Elizabeth_ gets to go off-world, and _I'm_ the one stuck here, dealing with the city's latest crisis. When did my life get so mixed up?"

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you're handling it very well," Mary said nicely. "Especially that new science team. They're kind of…"

"Annoying?" John offered.

Mary smiled and nodded. "But _I_ didn't say it."

John was about to reply, but was interrupted by high-pitched "yakka!" Startled, both he and Mary turned around in the direction of the strange noise. A green frog was sitting on the floor just a few feet away from them, his throat-bubble puffing in and out.

"Yakka!" it squeaked again, cocking its head.

"I got it," John said quietly. He took a cautious step forward, and when the frog didn't move, he advanced again. Then he very slowly lowered himself until he was squatting next to the frog. The frog leapt into the air at the same time that John darted his hands out to catch it. The frog landed on John's head. Startled, John lost his balance and fell onto his rear end, but still managed to reach up in time to catch the frog.

"Yakka, yakka, yakka!" it protested. John got to his feet with something less than grace, and handed the amphibian to Mary.

"Somehow I don't think this is what the Air Force had in mind when they said they wanted me taking care of things in the city."

Mary just giggled.

XXXXXX

"C'mon, Hester," Evie said, her fist connecting solidly with his jaw. "You've got to get over this thing you've got about fighting girls." She hit him again. "What's gonna happen when you come up against an enemy female warrior? Or a Wraith queen? You just gonna let her kick your butt and then suck away your life?"

Antagonized, Dr. Hester swung at her. Evie ducked easily, then grabbed his arm and shoulder and threw him onto the mat. "You're telegraphing your moves, Hester. I knew you were going to swing, so I avoided it." She reached a hand down and pulled the young man up off the mat. "Let's try that again. This time, I want you knocking me onto the mat. And don't think so much, just react."

Hester nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Fifteen minutes later and Hester couldn't go anymore. He thanked Evie and went to get his gym bag.

Evie grabbed her bag and water bottle and when she turned in the direction of the gym entrance, she noticed Elizabeth leaning against the doorframe. "Surely you're not here to fight someone, Dr. Weir?" Evie teased.

"No, actually, I needed to talk to Dr. Hester and Rodney told me he was in here with you," she explained.

"How long have you been watching?"

"A while. Did Dr. Hester just ask you for a sparring session out of the blue?"

"Well, he ate lunch with me and John and Rodney and happened to mention that he'd like a little fighting experience before he went off-world. John's busy this afternoon and Rodney isn't exactly the greatest person to get a lesson from, so I offered to work with him today."

"So I saw. It was impressive, Evie," Elizabeth complimented. "You gave him a good workout and he looked like he was actually feeling more comfortable with it by the end."

Evie smiled. "I do what I can." She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, I'm in desperate need of a shower." She stepped past Elizabeth to leave.

"Evie, wait," Elizabeth called.

Evie stopped and turned around. "Ma'am?"

"Evie, you're obviously good at this. You'd have to be after surviving out here for seventeen years. I know you haven't exactly found a new place around here after leaving your team, but I noticed that you didn't seem to have any problem instructing Dr. Hester… Would you want to do some sort of combat training for the new non-military personnel?"

Evie's eyes lit up and she smiled. "Really? You'd let me? Like taking them to the firing range, or hand-to-hand combat, or what?"

"Probably some of both, if you'd like to undertake the task. Some of these new recruits have never fired a weapon in their lives, and I _know_ they all could use some sparring practice."

"That would be…really great, Elizabeth," Evie said, ecstatic. "I mean, I've been doing my best to be content assisting Michael, but…"

Elizabeth chuckled. "I understand. Now, I still don't think the Air Force will pay you, bu--"

"That's fine," Evie assured her. "I'll just be glad to be doing something that's at least a little bit close to what I used to do."

Elizabeth smiled. "Alright then. I will make a notice on the Atlantis bulletin board if you'll create some sort of sign-up sheet with the times you're willing to train them each week."

Evie grinned happily. "Thank you so much."

XXXXXX

When Evie got done with her shower, she was still in an incredibly good mood. Her happy feelings increased when she saw that Summer had left a new photograph sitting on her bedside table next to the large, silver picture frame. Summer had given the frame to her as a sort of late wedding present ages ago. Evie looked lovingly at the six photographs it held.

The first picture was of a young Evie grinning ecstatically as her baby brother was placed in her arms for the first time. The next was of her in cap and gown, holding her college diploma, with her parents on either side of her. One of her absolute favorites was of her in her dress blues and Summer in her wedding dress. She'd gotten Major Johnson to take their picture at Summer and Michael's reception.

Taking it's rightful place in the center of the large frame was a picture that Summer had taken a few weeks after John and Evie had tied the knot on Venalia. Summer and Michael had invited them to their quarters for a pizza and board game night and John and Evie had been able to relax with each other for the first time in a long time. Summer had managed to catch them kissing and then e-mailed the picture to Evie. Evie had had it on her computer for ages, and had only just now had the freedom to print it out and display it.

The next picture showed the other important man in Evie's life. Aiden had only been three months at the time, and it had taken Summer a good twenty minutes to get a shot of him smiling. The image beside it was of Aiden, as well. Evie and Aiden had posed for Summer a year ago, and gotten several lovely results.

Evie smiled as she opened the back of the large frame and slipped the new picture inside. She and John had posed for Summer just a few days ago, but it turned out looking natural enough. Evie stared at the picture for several moments, still not over the fact that she could show off images like this now. It was adorable and loving and innocent and romantic all at once. It was a close-up of them smiling sweetly at each other, noses touching, eyes sparkling with reflected love. Summer had faded the colors to black and white and Evie thought it was probably her favorite picture out of all of them.

Evie chuckled to herself as she looked back and forth between the one Summer had taken seventeen years ago and the new one. Despite Valopin's claims to stop aging, Evie could see the fine lines on both their faces that hadn't been there when they'd met. And the silver in John's hair was almost more prominent than the dark brown now. She was thankful she'd found a close-enough match when _she_ had started dying her hair a few years ago; she wasn't ready to go gray yet.

One thing had not lessened or faded over the years, though. And Evie was so thankful for it. She fingered her wedding ring as she looked over the pictures once more. She'd probably had more than her fair share of losses, but as she looked at all she had, she knew she'd received more than enough blessings to make up for it.


	54. DDDDanger!

**Chapter Fifty-Four - D-D-D-Danger!**

**Seventeen Years Old - October 2023**

_"Sometimes life gets you, but we go on. Sometimes life gets you, we're still going on. We're not done yet, not going quietly into the night, not me and my friends. We're not done yet. Don't take it too seriously; it's just life. We'll win in the end." - Superchick, "Not Done Yet"_

"Dial the Gate, Rodney!" John yelled as he, Lorne, Ronon, and Teyla tried to keep the small band of human-form Replicators at bay. Their P-90s were having little effect, but at least their few grenades sent the resilient bastards flying.

Rodney hit the last symbol on the DHD and waited for the Gate to engage. Then he frantically punched in his IDC while shouting, "That's it! Come on!"

Ronon threw a final grenade that sent several trees crashing down on top of their enemies. They kept their weapons aimed at the hindered Asurans as they ran for the Gate. Rodney was the first one through, as he was closest. Ronon's long legs had him flying through the event horizon a moment later, and Lorne followed a second after. John and Teyla were just two yards away from the Gate when a blast of energy from a Replicator stunner hit John and he collapsed, unconscious, less than three feet from the Gate.

XXXXXX

John's head was throbbing when he awoke to the sound of worried voices. "He's awake!" Ronon called with relief.

John slowly opened his eyes and saw his team gathered around his bed in the infirmary. He could hear footsteps approaching quickly and knew it was Carson. "How're ya feeling?" Carson asked, beginning to check his vitals.

John groaned. "Headache. What happened?"

"You were stunned," Carson answered, reaching for his penlight. "Teyla managed to drag you through the Gate."

John smiled at his teammate. "Thanks, Teyla." Then he winced as Carson shined the light in his eyes.

When Carson was satisfied a few moments later, he put away his penlight and said, "You seem to be fine. I was just a little worried when you were unconscious for so long."

"How long was I out?" John asked, sitting up.

"It's eleven o'clock at night," Rodney answered. At John's surprised expression, he added, "Which means they've obviously upgraded their weapons."

"We could use some of those," Ronon commented.

John nodded, then asked, "Can I go, Carson?"

"I don't see why not," the doctor answered. "But if the headache doesn't go away, let me know."

"Will do." After thanking Teyla again, John went back to the quarters he shared with Evie. He assured her that he was fine and then began getting dressed and ready for bed.

A few minutes later, Evie called from their bed, "I'm gonna be asleep by the time you get over here, pokey."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," John said, crossing the room and crawling into bed beside her. He leaned over to give her a goodnight kiss. A second later, he abruptly pulled back.

"What's wrong?" Evie asked.

"I thought I heard something," John said, listening carefully for a moment.

"You're just being paranoid, baby," Evie said, snuggling up against him.

"Oh! Your feet are _cold_!" he cried, scooting away from her.

Evie sighed. "Shall I go find some socks?"

"Yes."

"Then bring the lights up a little bit, please," she requested.

Turning his face into the pillow, John ordered the lights on. When he heard a sudden, frightened gasp, he looked up. His eyes widened in fear when he saw a Wraith towering over his wife. Before John could react, the Wraith had his left hand around Evie's throat. John quickly reached for the gun under his pillow. When his hand finally gripped cold metal, he heard Evie's strangled cry as the Wraith shoved her against the wall.

John raised his gun and began firing.

With an enraged shriek, the Wraith slammed his hand against Evie's chest and began feeding. Evie screamed. John kept firing until he'd emptied the magazine, but the life the Wraith was taking from Evie was apparently enough to prevent John's bullets from doing any more damage than his first three hits. Frantically, John reached for Evie's gun. But he knew by her fading screams that he was too late…

The Replicator removed his hand from John's head with a smug grin and John fell to the floor.

"Come on, Terak," said the other Replicator, who had been watching. "I think he's had enough."

Terak stepped outside of the cell and reactivated the force shield before turning to leave with his partner.

When John finally let go of his throbbing head a moment later, his hands brushed a wetness on his cheeks and he realized that their psychological torture had actually reduced him to tears. Why did the little rat bastards have to torment him? Why couldn't they just get the damn information they needed and leave him alone? Angrily wiping his cheeks, John lay down on the cold floor and tried to get some rest, hoping that rescue would come soon.

XXXXXX

"Receiving MALP telemetry," Chuck said as the screen crackled to life. He began to pan the camera and saw an armed Replicator for about two seconds before it blasted the MALP with its weapon and the screen went to static. Chuck punched a few buttons, but to no avail. "We've lost contact with the MALP, ma'am," he reported.

Elizabeth sighed. "They're guarding the Gate."

"We can't just leave him there," Ronon said, agitated.

"Of course not," Elizabeth said gently. She keyed her headset. "Colonel Norrington? This is Weir."

There was a pause. "Yes, ma'am?"

"How soon can _Cerberus_ be ready for a rescue mission?"

* * *

Terak cursed at the data he was receiving from his monitoring device. He called to his companion and they began conversing in angry tones.

John's head was a little fuzzy from the sedative that was being pumped through his veins, but he could make out what they were saying for the most part.

"The nanites are having no effect on him!" Terak reported exasperatedly.

"Why not?" the other asked.

"He has the Alteran gene."

The other Replicator said some harsh words that John didn't understand but he was pretty sure were expletives. "Take him to the other lab," he ordered.

Terak grabbed John roughly by the arm and dragged him to his feet. "Move," he ordered, shoving his prisoner forward and training his weapon on him.

John walked in the direction he was guided and tried to make his sluggish mind remember the details about where he was and where they were taking him now. He was led out of the small Replicator laboratory in which Terak had injected him with nanites ten minutes ago, and he was taken outside. This Replicator base wasn't very glamorous or at all like the usual Replicator cities. Rather, it was a group of several small buildings clustered around a main complex.

Terak ordered John into another building that looked almost identical to the first lab except for the addition of a large machine with lots of wires and what looked like an examination table. John noted that there were no other guards in this lab and he started looking around for something he could use as a weapon. Unfortunately, Terak pulled out a syringe and jabbed the needle into John's arm, releasing more sedative into his bloodstream.

"Get on the table," Terak ordered. John gave the man a defiant stare. Terak smiled wryly. "I admire your resistance, but the sedative will begin working in about ten seconds, at which point you will fall to the floor, probably injuring yourself, and I will pick you up and put you on the table myself."

"Go to hell," John growled.

"Have it your way," Terak sighed.

Exactly ten seconds later, John's vision began to blur and his extremities started to feel numb. His knees gave way beneath him a moment later and the last thing he was aware of was the sensation of strong arms catching him before his world went black.

* * *

"We're not picking up his subcutaneous transmitter," reported one of Norrington's underlings.

"The Replicators are smart enough to locate it and either turn it off or cut it out," Rodney answered, annoyed that the man had even wasted time checking.

"There's only eight buildings," Ronon commented. "Just beam us down and we'll find him." By the way he was fiddling with his gun, it was obvious that he was agitated and ready to go.

Norrington looked to Lorne, who nodded his assent. "The second you find him, put a locator on him and call for immediate beam-out," Norrington ordered. "This is a rescue mission only. Do not pursue the enemy."

"Understood, sir," Lorne answered, and Ronon grunted in reluctant acquiescence.

Norrington nodded to his man and a few seconds later, Lorne's and Adams's teams had disappeared in a flash of shimmery light.

Norrington had beamed the two teams down onto opposite sides of the compounds, and they both began searching immediately. Rodney pulled out his life-signs detector and scowled when he saw no signals on it. "They must have him in a shielded building," he said, then put the device away.

"So we'll go building by building," Ronon said, already making his way toward the first.

Lorne had been beamed down with Adams's team and they began searching on their side of the compound. The first door they checked wasn't locked, and Lorne and his former team rushed inside. Fortunately, a sweep of the room revealed that it was completely empty, except for several crates of supplies.

Ronon, Rodney, and Teyla didn't have things so easy, bursting in on five Replicator scientists. However, it didn't take long to render them all inert, thanks to the anti-Replicator weapons they had brought with them this time. Unfortunately, John was no where to be found.

By the time Lorne and Adams's team broke into a third building, it was obvious that the Replicators had all been alerted to the invasion. Lorne hadn't taken two steps before the blast from a Replicator stun weapon enveloped his body and he collapsed to the floor.

"_Cereberus_, this is Adams," the major called into his radio as he shot the Replicator that had shot his former team leader. "Beam Colonel Lorne to the infirmary immediately."

When they got to the next building, Ronon made short work of the electronic door lock with his gun. The door slid open somewhat haltingly to reveal a lone, startled Replicator scientist in the corner. The three teammates saw that the scientist was huddled over a body on a lab table. A body with a familiar black uniform and spiky hair.

Before Rodney had a chance to protest, Ronon shot the Replicator, watching with satisfaction as he shattered into a million silvery splinters.

"Well, I hope he didn't do anything to Sheppard that I can't reverse myself!" Rodney scowled as he ran over to where John lay, a half dozen wires connected to his head.

"I got the door," Ronon said, returning to guard the entrance of the laboratory as Teyla reported to _Cerberus _that they had found the General. "Get that stuff off him."

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Rodney snapped exasperatedly. He scanned John quickly with the attachment to his life signs detector, trying to see if there were any alarming energy readings, radiation levels, or abnormal brain patterns. Rodney swore at what he saw. "His EEG reads like he's in a coma." He gently removed the electrodes that were plastered to John's forehead.

"Then alert _Cerberus's_ medical staff to be ready to receive him in the infirmary, and beam us out of here," Teyla said urgently, slipping the locator into John's hand and squeezing his fingers down around it.

Rodney nodded. "Yes, yes. _Cerberus_, we're requesting immediate beam-out. Beam General Sheppard directly to the infirmary and tell the EMT's to be careful; the Replicators were running some sort of experiment on him when we found him."

Ronon grunted in surprise as a stunner blast whizzed past his head, and he quickly returned fire.

"_Cerberus_, get us out of here!" Rodney cried into his radio.

"We're trying!" came Norrington's voice. "We can't get a lock on your signals."

"Do you think the Replicators could be projecting an interference?" Teyla asked. When another Replicator showed up, trapping them in the small lab, she ran to help Ronon.

"McKay, we'll keep trying, but it might be best for you to try to make it to the Gate," Norrington suggested urgently.

"And what do you want me to do with Sheppard, carry him?" Rodney shot back.

Ducking another blast, Ronon asserted, "If you two clear a path and watch our backs, I'll get him through the Gate."

Teyla managed to shoot the Replicator who was keeping them pinned down and ordered, "Get him. We must go now!" Muttering doom and gloom, Rodney joined Teyla at the entrance. He clutched his ARG tightly as Teyla alerted Adams's team, "We have General Sheppard and are heading for the Gate. We would appreciate cover-fire."

"We're coming, ma'am!" Adams replied, tossing a grenade into the building his team had just vacated. They reached the laboratory from which Ronon was dragging John's limp body just as the building behind them exploded, taking a few trees with it.

The seven of them had just begun running for the Gate when a small group of Replicators emerged from the building on the farthest side of the settlement, armed with weapons capable of doing worse than just stunning.

When a projectile from one of the weapons did a little more than graze Ronon's arm, he swore and ducked down behind thick, fallen tree, almost dropping John in the process. Tearing a strip of cloth from the bottom of his shirt, he applied a makeshift bandage to his arm with a speed acquired over the years. He checked to see if the coast was clear for him to move with John again, and another projectile whizzed by his ear. He thought about grabbing John and running for it anyways, but he'd already had three close calls and knew his luck wouldn't hold out forever.

He risked another peek over the trunk of the tree and saw that he was only being pinned down by two Replicators, one of them behind a still-standing tree and the other one staying out of range by hiding in a nearby building and firing out of the open door.

Grabbing the only grenade he had, Ronon pulled the pin and chucked it into the building. Then he ducked, covering John as best he could. He heard a startled cry a second before the building blew up, raining down small bits of debris.

Satisfied, Ronon turned and continued shooting at the Replicator behind the tree. He was so focused on not getting stunned himself that he didn't notice the other Replicator slowly rising from beneath the rubble of the destroyed building.

The Replicator began searching for his weapon beneath the debris. When he realized that he wasn't going to be able to find it, he instead wrenched loose a piece of piping, admiring its jagged, sharp end. Then he cautiously began moving toward the closest target.

Ronon had finally caught onto the pattern of the Replicator behind the tree, and the second after the machine fired at him, Ronon leapt sidelong from behind his cover and shot the Replicator with his ARG. He hit the ground a second later and quickly jumped to his feet. He looked around to see which one of his teammates might need help and saw the risen Replicator only a few feet away from Teyla, brandishing some sort of spear-like weapon. Ronon cried out her name and the instant she whirled around, the Replicator plunged the jagged edge of the pole into her chest.


	55. When You're Gone

**A/N:** Sorry that this is a day late, y'all! I didn't have internet access yesterday. Enjoy! Or, y'know, sob and throw things at me. XD

* * *

_"Never mind. Turn back time. You'll be fine; I will get left behind. Show me what it's like to dream in black and white so I can leave this world tonight. Holding on too tight. Breathe the breath of life so I can leave this world behind." - Breaking Benjamin, "Unknown Soldier" _

Ronon watch horrified as the Replicator thrust the pole completely through Teyla's body. She let out a gurgling gasp and blood spilled from her lips. Not caring that he was exposing himself to Replicator weapons-fire and abandoning John, Ronon charged at the Replicator with a cry of rage. Though one blast would have done it, he fired four times at the robot. Of course, the resulting show of Replicator blocks raining down wasn't in any way satisfying anymore. When he got to Teyla, her breathing was faltering and her eyes were fluttering shut. He pulled her back behind the cover of the ruins and gently cradled her body in his arms, careful not to disturb her wound. "Teyla…" he whispered, brushing his rough hand against her cheek. "Come on, Teyla, you're stronger than this," he begged, his voice about to break. He was no student of anatomy, but he knew the weapon had to have pierced her heart. Her chest rose hesitantly and fell, and then she was still. "Teyla?" He pressed his fingers to her neck and felt nothing.

He didn't try to stop the tears as he leaned back and screamed his anguish to the sky.

"Teyla!" he sobbed, pulling her body close. His grieving was interrupted a minute later, by a nearby explosion. Knowing that he still had a job to do, and owing it to her to finish it, Ronon reverently lay Teyla's body down, kissing her cheek. He cleared his throat and tried to mask the anguish in his voice when he called the ship. "_Cerberus_, we lost Teyla. Please…beam her body up."

"We will as soon as we get beaming capabilities back," came the tech's voice.

A last tear slipped down Ronon's cheek as he left her broken body, picking up his weapon. There wasn't going to be a single Replicator block left on this planet when he was done.

XXXXXX

"We need a medical team!" Ronon hollered as he stumbled through the Gate, carrying John's unconscious body.

"Medical team to the Gate room, stat," Elizabeth ordered over her radio as she raced down the stairs. "What happened to him?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know. McKay thinks they were experimenting on him."

Suddenly, a stunner blast shot through the Gate, nearly striking one of the guards on the far side of the room. "Where are the rest?" Elizabeth demanded.

"They're coming," Ronon said, shifting Sheppard slightly.

As if on cue, Rodney and Adams came barreling through the event horizon. Lorne's other two men followed a few seconds later. "Shut down the Gate!" Ronon called, knowing that the Replicators wouldn't be far behind.

Rodney looked around frantically when he realized that they were missing someone. "Wait, Teyla! Where's Teyla?"

The wormhole disengaged as Ronon forced himself to make eye contact with Rodney. "She's not coming…" He looked away when he saw realization dawn on Rodney's face a second later.

Thankfully, Carson's voice spared him from having to elaborate. "A'right. Who's been injured?"

Ronon turned so the doctor could see the unconscious general in his arms.

"Lay him down on the stretcher," Carson directed, wheeling it over to the Satedan. Ronon tried his best to put his team leader down gently. "What happened?" Carson asked, checking John's pulse.

"I don't--"

"They were running some sort of test or experiment on him," Rodney interrupted, joining Carson.

"Let's get him to the infirmary," Carson said, starting to wheel the gurney with the help of one of the nurses. "And you tell me exactly what they were doing to him," he demanded of Rodney.

Rodney fell into step with Carson as they moved quickly out of the Gate room. He was grateful to be needed, to have something to _do_, because he really didn't want to face the reality of what Ronon had just said. "Well, we found him unconscious, and I'm not _exactly_ sure what the Replicators were trying to do, but…"

"Major Adams, what is the status of that planet?" Elizabeth asked.

"McKay said that we couldn't leave any of the Replicators in one piece, because they'd almost certainly probed General Sheppard's mind and learned sensitive information about Atlantis and Earth."

"You destroyed them all?"

"Once we made it safely through the Gate, _Cerberus_ was going to blast them from space, ma'am."

"Good. Where's Colonel Lorne?" she asked next, noting the other absent team member.

"He got stunned by a Replicator and was beamed aboard _Cerberus_ before they started jamming our locators. We might not have lost Teyla if the damn things hadn't done that…"

Apparently having missed Ronon's full meaning of "not coming" earlier, Elizabeth's eyes widened. "'Lost'? You mean she's…"

"Yes, ma'am. _Cerberus_ was going to try to beam her body aboard after taking out whatever interference the Replicators were running."

Elizabeth turned to offer some sort of condolence to Ronon, but he was gone. "I, uhh…" She turned back to Adams and his men. "I guess we'll debrief later. You are all free to go."

Adams nodded. "Thank you, ma'am."

* * *

As soon as Elizabeth had turned her attention to Adams, Ronon had quietly left the Gate Room. He didn't want to answer any questions and he didn't want to hear any "you have my sympathies" crap. He wanted to hurt someone, _fight_ someone, but he knew that no one would take him up for sparring in his current state; it'd be suicide.

He entered their quarters, intent on either taking a hot shower or tearing the room apart. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Terena sitting on the bed, braiding her long hair; it hadn't occurred to him yet that he would have to tell their daughter.

Terena smiled when she saw him. "Father!" She ran over to Ronon and hugged him. "Were you able to rescue General Sheppard?"

"Yeah, we got him."

"That's good." She paused. "Where's Mother? I needed to ask her something."

"Terena…"

The girl arched an eyebrow. She could tell something was wrong by the way his voice dropped to a whisper, and by the fact that he called her by name instead of "squirt." "What?" Now she could read the sorrow in his face. "Did something happen to Mother?"

Ronon was at a loss for how to tell her and the lump in his throat was returning.

"Is she hurt; is she in the infirmary?" she asked worriedly. "I want to see her."

"Terena--"

"I want to see her!"

"She's dead," he blurted, his voice breaking. Terena's eyes widened, and the pain that he saw there was just one more slash at his heart.

"Father, no," she begged, her own voice threatening to give.

"Terena…" He reached a hand out to touch her.

"No!" she cried, shoving his hand away and running out the door.

"Terena!" he called after her, but she was already halfway down the hall. He turned and kicked the wall hard enough that he was surprised he didn't leave a dent. He was so angry he didn't even notice the pain in his foot. He decided it would probably be best to leave her alone for a while, so he went for a run to try to take his mind off things.

XXXXXX

"Hello, lamppost. Whatcha knowin'? I come to watch your flowers growin'…" Kyle sang quietly to himself as he entered the gym. He jumped when he heard a startled gasp; he had thought the gym was empty. He looked in the direction of the noise and saw his best friend curled up on the window seat. "Terena?" he asked worriedly.

She sniffled and hugged her knees tighter. "Go away," she managed.

"Terena, what's wrong?" He ran over to her.

"My mother's _dead_! That's what wrong!" she cried, fresh tears coursing down her face.

Kyle's stood stunned and his stomach suddenly felt nauseated. "What…what happened?"

"I don't even know!" Terena sobbed. "My f-f-father just…came in and told me and I…ran here and--" She couldn't finish. And she couldn't stop the loud sobs. She dropped her head into her hands as new tears coursed down. She was briefly embarrassed that Kyle was watching her cry, but a fresh wave of grief overwhelmed any shame and redoubled her sobs.

Kyle sat down on the window seat next to her and after a moment, he awkwardly reached out his hand and lay it on her back. When she didn't jerk away from the touch, he began rubbing in slow circles, like he'd seen his dad do to comfort his mom.

"It's--It's not fair!" she sobbed. "I n-need her!"

Deciding that condolences probably wouldn't make her feel any better, Kyle wisely didn't say anything. Instead, he scooted closer to her and placed his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him after a few seconds, sobs still shaking her small body.

He held her for a good fifteen minutes, until she'd exhausted herself crying. She sniffled a last time and wiped her eyes. She tried to give him a little smile. "Thanks," she said, then hugged him.

"You're welcome," he answered, hugging her back.

XXXXXX

"Doesn't your brain ever feel crowded, ma'am?" Nurse Emma asked. "With all this knowledge?"

Sharon sighed, enjoying the tingle of the Galaran memory implant device downloading the expertise and knowledge of one of Colorado Springs' finest high school chemistry teachers into her brain. "It can get annoying sometimes. Especially when I can't remember if I just solved a problem with my own smarts or somebody else's." She opened her eyes when the device shut off. "But I wouldn't trade this job for the world."

Emma smiled and nodded; she loved working in Atlantis, too. She handed Sharon a very complicated chemistry problem that Radek had selected. Sharon sighed and began working it out. They always gave her some sort of awful homework to make sure all the knowledge transferred. It had actually been Sharon's idea. She was only certified for kindergarten through eighth grade, so when Aiden and Aaron had hit the ninth grade level, the IOA had pointed out that the children either had to go to school on Earth or Atlantis had to hire several more subject-specific teachers; the holographic AI program on Atlantis had long been abandoned as a viable option because of all the energy it consumed.

When Sharon had heard about the Galaran device, she'd suggested that they try that, rather than scouring the schools for high school teachers willing to travel to another galaxy to teach two boys a single subject.

"Voila," Sharon said, handing Emma the tablet. "Does that look right?"

"You're asking _me_?" Emma laughed. "College was a looong time ago."

Sharon chuckled. "Why don't we just give it to Rodney, aka the biggest genius in two galaxies." She winked.

Emma giggled. "The size of that man's ego never ceas--"

"Where's John?" a female voice interrupted.

Emma and Sharon turned and saw Evie standing there, looking anxious. "He's in a private room, ma'am," Emma answered. "Dr. Beckett's in there with him. I think he just woke up."

"Thank you." Evie quickly went to check on her husband, finding him in the second room.

"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted perkily.

She walked over to his bed and took his hand. "You don't look dain bramaged to me," she said, feeling relieved. The news of "the Replicators were experimenting on your husband" had had her fearing the worst for the last four hours.

"I cannae find anything wrong with him," Carson reported. "My best guess is that they were just running tests on him, perhaps in preparation for actually experimenting on him."

"Well, that's good to know," she said, squeezing his hand. "You and your penchant for getting into trouble…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked innocently.

"John, this is the first mission you've gone on in _forever_ and look at the amount of trouble you got yourself into."

"Well, I'll try harder not to get captured next time," he teased with a smile. When she didn't smile back, he finally noticed the hint of redness in her eyes. "You been crying?" he asked softly.

She slowly nodded.

"Hey…" He gently rubbed her hand with his thumb. "I'm fine. We're all fine."

When she didn't respond to that, John felt an anxious knot tighten in his stomach. "Did we lose somebody?" he asked.

Evie's expression quickly turned grave and she bit her lip. "Just one," she whispered.

John knew by her behavior that it was someone he was close to, someone on his team. Unable to ask who, he just looked at her expectantly.

Evie looked to Carson, who tried his best to look reassuring despite his grim expression. She looked back to John, wishing for all the world she was someone else right now; she didn't want to be the one to shatter his world, his _heart_, into a million pieces. "Teyla didn't make it," she managed softly.

He stared at her in numb disbelief, but when the words sunk in a moment later, the heartbreak in his eyes brought tears to her own.

When he looked down, she instinctively moved to comfort him. "John…" She reached out to touch him, but he quickly withdrew.

"Just go," he said, defeat and brokenness resounding in his eerily quiet voice.

Evie nodded slowly and whispered to Carson, "Take care of him," before she left.

Carson turned to leave as well, but John called, "Doc, wait," still not looking up.

The doctor returned to John's bedside. "Yes, General?"

John didn't answer immediately, hundreds of jumbled thoughts and memories running through his head. Several minutes later, he finally looked up. "I want to see her body."

"John, I really don't think--"

"Please," he asked, his eyes pleading.

Carson sighed. "A'right. The Athosians are having a ceremony tomorrow, so she's still in the morgue. _Cerberus _was able to beam her body aboard after they destroyed whatever the Replicators were using to block the signals from your subcutaneous transmitters."

They reached the large, cold room several minutes later. It had been one of the few Ancient rooms that didn't require much Earth technology at all. Each of the thirty drawers had functioned properly since they discovered the room and its purpose more than eighteen years ago. Even after ten thousand years, they still preserved the bodies perfectly.

Carson walked over to the drawer labeled 108 and commanded it open with his gene. The tray slowly slid out, the smallish body covered with a white sheet. Tendrils of wispy, cold vapor flowed out from the tray. Carson gently pulled back the sheet to reveal Teyla's pale face, and he heard John's quick intake of breath.

The whole thing was such a shock to John, unlike the last time he'd lost a team member, back when Ford had died. This time, he didn't feel the rush of strong emotion he had with Ford; he knew he would later, though, in the days to come. He couldn't take his eyes off her face. There were no traces of dirt or blood, since her body had been washed. But her hair wasn't brushed, her lips were pale and chapped, and her face lacked its usual glow and color.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice strangely calm.

"She was stabbed by a Replicator," Carson answered. "The weapon pierced her heart." He didn't show John the wound.

"Did she suffer?" Again, his voice lacked emotion.

Carson knew Teyla had probably been in excruciating pain for a good minute or two, but he didn't want to tell John that. "Death would have been almost instantaneous," he answered instead. When John didn't say or ask anything more, just continued staring, Carson covered her back up. "You don't need to stay in here, John. Go and talk with Evie. Or be with your team."

John acted as if he hadn't heard Carson. "So, there's going to be a ceremony?" he asked.

Carson mentally commanded the tray to retract back into the drawer. "Aye. Tomorrow on the mainland at 1600. Kalea, one of Teyla's dear friends, asked if you would like to speak, but I told her you would probably decline."

John nodded. "Guess I'll see you there," he said quietly, and turned to leave.

"General," Carson called to his retreating form. John stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Please talk to someone." John gave him an empty, wry smile, then turned and left.

XXXXXX

Later that night, just as Ronon was about to drift off to sleep, he heard a timid knock on the door to his quarters. Turning on one of the lights, he shuffled over to the door. When it whooshed open, he looked down and saw his daughter standing there, hands tightly clutching a blanket and tears trickling down her cheeks. Neither one said anything, knowing they'd both break down sobbing again; instead, Ronon gestured for her to come in.

With a sniffle, Terena stepped inside and climbed onto the large bed that her parents had shared for the last twelve years. She tossed her blanket aside and grabbed the one her mother had used, its softness and familiar hint of jasmine offering her a small amount of comfort. Ronon lay down on the opposite side of the bed and turned the lights out. When he heard her start crying quietly a moment later, he rolled over to face her. Propping his head up with his hand, he reached out with his other and began to gently pat her back. This action brought back memories of when she was a baby; this had been the basic extent of his parenting, putting her to sleep

When her crying ceased and her breathing became slow and even, he stopped and pulled the covers up over her. He didn't scoot back to his side of the bed, choosing instead to fall asleep close to her. He had a feeling this sleeping arrangement would last for a while.

XXXXXX

The next morning after breakfast, Lorne's and Adams's teams, along with Sheppard and Colonel Norrington, debriefed with Weir. Norrington assured them that _Cerberus_ had taken care of all the Replicators. They had also destroyed the rest of the buildings and directed enough weapons-fire from the ship to effectively bury the Gate, just in case any other Replicators attempted a salvage operation.

When the briefing was over, Elizabeth called Ronon aside for a moment. "If you want to take some time off…" she advised gently, "I think it would be a good idea."

"I don't want to sit around here doing nothing and replaying what happened in my head," Ronon said resolutely. "I just want to get back out there and keep fighting."

"I know that, but you need some time to get through your emotions. I don't want you out there acting with only revenge on your mind; you won't be thinking clearly and you could end up getting yourself killed." When Ronon rolled his eyes, Elizabeth said, "Please, Ronon? Two weeks? Don't make me make it an order."

He sighed, exasperated. "I'm fine, Dr. Weir. I don't need to--"

"Well, if you won't do it for you, what about Terena?" she asked, coming from another angle. "She needs you right now."

"I know that," he said defensively. He was already feeling a sudden sense of inadequacy as her only parent now and he didn't want anyone telling him what his daughter did and didn't need. When Elizabeth half-raised an expectant eyebrow, he sighed and nodded. "Two weeks. That's it."

"Thank you."

XXXXXX

In the hours leading up to the funeral ceremony, Kalea and several of the other Athosians were busy making the necessary preparations. Kalea had brushed out Teyla's hair and put some color on her cheeks and lips. Terena had selected a pale blue dress for her mother and Kalea had reverently dressed her body.

The funeral began at 1600. Terena hadn't felt qualified to attempt the Ring Ceremony, so she had opted for a simple funeral. All the Athosians and the group of Atlanteans who had elected to come were now standing on the beach of the mainland, listening as a short, yet touching, eulogy was delivered.

Kalea only spoke for about two minutes, but the few words that she said were enough. She spoke of Teyla's character and her kind heart. She also told of the sacrifices she'd made for her people and the people of Atlantis. When she was through, Terena stepped forward. She was wearing a simple black dress, with a black veil covering her face. It was traditional for a song to be sung at this point, and Terena had selected her mother's favorite. Taking a deep breath, she began to sing, her voice clear and surprisingly strong. "Beyond the night, a rising sun…"

When the beautiful song was over, Ronon stepped forward to join his daughter. The wind rippled Terena's black veil as she and her father approached the pyre. They each slowly picked up a torch. Eye-contact was made, and then they touched the ends of the torches against the wood and brush. They took a step back as the flames began spreading and climbing the stacks of wood. When the fire became a blaze and reached Teyla's body a moment later, Terena reached over and took her father's hand. She gave it a tight squeeze, which he returned. She was grateful that no one could see her tears through the veil.

When the flames had surrounded the body and begun to consume it, Terena and Ronon turned and began slowly walking back to the Athosian settlement, where an early dinner was to be served. The rest of the crowd slowly followed after them, save two Athosian men who remained to make sure the fire didn't get out of control.

While some of the Athosians and Teyla's close friends from Atlantis were able to maintain a positive outlook and "celebrate her life" by talking about good times with her, her team remained depressed and didn't talk or eat much at all.

Ronon and Terena both accepted condolences with a clipped "thank you." While the extent of their physical affection with each other normally just included roughhousing and an occasional hug, Terena sat close to him at the table and wouldn't let go of his hand.

When people finally stopped coming up to her and saying how sorry they were and telling her to let them know if she ever needed anything, Terena removed her veil and asked quietly, "Father, can we go home now?"

He leaned over and kissed her forehead, another rare gesture. "Yeah," he answered, standing up. "We'll tell Sheppard we're ready and he'll take us in the jumper."

They began walking to where the jumpers were parked and after a moment, she asked, "Father…will it always hurt this bad?"

He looked down and saw her eyes were filled with tears. "It will for a while," he answered honestly, his voice rough with emotion.

"I miss her so much," she said, her voice breaking and the tears starting to fall.

Ronon didn't want to see her cry, because he knew he'd probably start crying, too. So he gently picked her up in his arms, drawing her head to his shoulder, and carried her all the way to the jumper.

XXXXXX

After getting back from the funeral, Rodney just wanted to lose himself by eating comfort food and doing long equations. Unfortunately, Dakota begged him to help her, Caitlyn, and Skylar in studying for their upcoming chemistry exam. So rather than secluding himself in his lab with his tablet and a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream, he found himself at one of the tables in the mess hall with his daughters, Michael, Skylar, and a bowl full of goldfish crackers.

He knew his most common defense mechanism when he was hurting was to lash out at others, so while he was still not in a good mood, he was trying his best not to be snappy. "No, Catie. Look, your equations are coming out wrong because you're not paying attention to the ion charges."

"I don't _know_ the ion charges for all this crap and I don't _understand_ how to use them."

"I just explained it to you!"

"But you're talking over our heads, Uncle Rodney," Skylar sighed.

"Okay, Skye, look," Michael pointed at the first equation. "These two are aqueous, which means they're both just floating around in the solution. They're not joining together. It's like a singles bar and they're mingling."

Skylar nodded. "Okay… So which two will combine?"

"This one with the negative two charge," Michael said, pointing, "and the one with the positive two charge. They form a solid and drop out of the solution."

"So, they go home together?" Dakota cracked.

Michael smiled. "Yes. Now one of you try the next one."

Skylar pondered the compounds, charges, and coefficients. "Is it these two?" she asked, pointing to two of the compounds. "Oh, wait. Nevermind. They both have positive charges."

"Now this is just a singles bar," Michael replied. "Not a…you know…"

Caitlyn snickered. "Gay bar?"

Michael nodded and all three girls started giggling.

"Yes, very funny," Rodney frowned. "Can we get back to actually _studying_ now?"

"We _are_ studying, Daddy," Dakota objected. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "How can you guys be so cheerful after…" He looked down at his daughter's textbook. "I have to go," he said after a pause, standing up. "Michael, will you--?"

"Yeah," Michael nodded. "We'll be fine."

Rodney didn't say anything else, quickly leaving for the kitchen.

He had intended to get himself a large bowl of ice cream with as many unhealthy toppings as he could find and then go lock himself in his lab. But when he reached the kitchen, he found John sitting on a stool at one of the counters. He had a nearly-empty beer in his hand and several unopened ones in front of him. "Hey," Rodney said quietly.

John acknowledged Rodney with a sad glance, but didn't say anything.

Rodney grabbed a bowl and a spoon, went to the freezer, and scooped out way more than a normal serving of ice cream. After drizzling it with chocolate sauce and grabbing a spray-can of Reddi-Whip, he went back over to John. "Mind if I pull up a stool?" he asked. Maybe sulking with someone who felt the way he did would be better than sulking alone.

John grunted his approval and reached for another beer to replace the one he'd just finished. He took a large swig, knowing it would take until the end of this bottle before he'd start to feel the effects of the alcohol. "Why does everyone think we need to talk about it?" he asked out of the blue a moment later.

Rodney shrugged and squirted some more whipped cream on top of his cold dessert. "They think it will help us get the depression out of our systems…it's cathartic or something."

"It's bullshit is what it is," John commented, taking another large drink from the bottle.

Rodney nodded. "Can I have one of those?" he asked, looking at the beer bottles.

John slid one across the counter. "There's two whole crates back there, Rodney. Knock yourself out."

XXXXXX

Figuring that he needed to be alone, Evie didn't try to find her husband until later that evening. Around 2130, she tried to reach him on the radio but got no response. She began asking around and when she ran into Michael, who was still helping the girls with their homework, he said that he'd seen him head into the kitchen earlier, but had never seen him come back out.

When Evie entered the kitchen, she frowned at the sight before her. Rodney had managed to stay on his stool, but John was sprawled on the floor, a beer bottle in his hand. Evie glanced at the counter and saw what had to be at least a dozen empty bottles.

"Uh oh," Rodney said when he saw her. Then he giggled.

John looked up and appeared to be trying to focus on her face. "Heeeey, baby," he finally slurred with a dopey smile.

"John…" she sighed. "How many beers did you have?"

"Uhh…" He looked up at the counter. "One…twooo…" He squinted and tried again. "One…two…three… Well, 'm tryna coun' 'em….but they keep mmmoving…" He laughed and his chuckles were at a higher pitch than normal.

Evie turned to Rodney and gave him a stern look. "Hey, I only had, umm…three," he answered solemnly.

Evie counted the bottles, coming up with eleven. "Eight? You drank _eight_ beers, John?!"

"Guessssso," he answered, taking another swig from the one in his hand. Some of the dark liquid spilled down his chin. "Oops." He laughed again. "I think 'm a lil' drunk."

Evie frowned and walked over to his prone body. Kneeling next to him, she yanked the bottle out of his hand. When he whined and reached to grab it back, Evie pushed his hand away. "No, John. You've had enough." She tugged on his arm, trying to get him into a sitting position. "Sit _up_!"

"Trying!" John complained, and the two of them finally managed to get him sitting up.

Pulling his arm around her shoulders, Evie tried to get him to his feet, but he was too heavy for her to lift alone. "Rodney, can you walk?"

"I think so," he said, slowly getting down from his stool and gaining his balance.

"Then get over here and help me get him up."

Rodney nodded and went over and picked up John's other arm. After a few moments of struggling, the two of them were able to get John on his feet. "Thank you, Rodney. Now why don't you go to your quarters and lie down before you fall down?"

"Okay…" Rodney said and turned to go.

"C'mon, John, let's go. We need to get you in bed."

"Bed? Are we g'nna…ssssex?"

Evie rolled her eyes. "No. You're going to sleep this off. C'mon, walk with me." They took a few steps and John almost fell down.

"M'feet aren't workin', Evieee… Why m'feet no' working?" He looked upset now.

"Because you're drunk, you idiot." John stumbled again and this time they both almost toppled to the ground. Evie struggled to keep him upright and wished she hadn't sent Rodney away. Luckily, she was able to get him to a nearby transporter without either of them falling. From the transporter, they managed to take baby steps toward their quarters. It was slow going, but they finally made it.

"Mah room!" John exclaimed when they stepped through the doorway.

"Yes, John, we're here." She steered him towards the bed and when they were close enough, she tried to get him to sit down first, instead of just collapsing onto the mattress. Unfortunately, John lost his balance again, and they both tumbled onto the bed.

John giggled as Evie landed on top of him. "See? You _do_ wanna have sex wi' me."

Evie didn't respond, instead getting up and dragging a trashcan over to the bed, just in case. Then she went to work taking off his shoes. "So do you want to tell me _why_ you decided to get yourself fall-down drunk, John?"

"No?"

She got his last shoe off. "_John_."

"'Cause I miss'er, dammit," he answered, and there was a hint of anger behind the slight slurring. "Doc says I should talk 'bout it 'n I'll feel better. Sscrew him. Mebbe I don' wanna talk 'bout it. Mebbe I jus' wanna be left the f--" He yawned tiredly. "--lef' the hell alone. I don' cry 'n I don' talk. I drink. S'how I cope." Evie was grateful for a truthful answer, even though she knew it was the alcohol that had brought about this sudden honestly. "An'…I think 'm gonna throw up now."

"In the trashcan, John!" Evie begged. She winced when she heard him vomiting a few seconds later. When he was through, she asked, "Did you make it?"

He groaned. "Yeah." He fell back against the bed. "Gonna have a…hangover from hell t'morrow…"

Evie went into the bathroom and returned a moment later with a glass of water and a wet washcloth. She gently washed his face and then gave him the water. When he was finished, she took the trashcan into the bathroom and disposed of the mess. Then she came back out and pulled the covers up over him. She kissed his cheek and murmured, "Goodnight, John."

He rolled over, trying to get comfortable. "'night."

Knowing from past experience that sleeping with him when he was drunk didn't provide her a good night's sleep, she chose to sleep on the couch instead. She took off her shoes and pants, not worrying about changing into pajamas, and lay down on the couch, pulling the blanket up over her. Just as she'd predicted, it wasn't long before John began tossing and turning, still trying to get comfortable and fall asleep. And Evie wasn't sure, but a few minutes later, she thought she heard him crying.


	56. Adjusting

**A/N:** Sorry that there was no chapter last Wednesday. I'm blaming it on the fact that my beta has been out of the country for, like, six weeks. Yeah...it's all her fault... Anyways, I'm also blaming her for the fact that there won't be any updates for the next two weeks either. Apparently she's leaving the state again and forgot to tell me about it. So...I guess it's my fault to, for not knowing and then promising y'all stuff that I should have known better than to promise. Umm... Plus, my muse kind of went crazy and I think there's going to be THREE more chapters rather than just two, so... Yeah. Three more. Then this ginormous thing is done. Promise. Love y'all. XD

**A/N 2:** Thank you, **Commander Lorne**, for your last review; it inspired me to write the first part of this chapter. :)

* * *

**Seventeen Years Old - November 2023**

_"And suddenly, it isn't what it used to be. And after all this time it worked out just fine. And suddenly I am where I'm supposed to be. And after the tears I was supposed to be here." - Superchick, "Suddenly"_

"He _what_?!" John's voice squawked over the radio.

"Chuck says that Ronon promised to cover him while Chuck went to the bathroom," Rodney answered. "The dialing computer shows that he dialed Edar about ten minutes ago."

"Edar?" John repeated. "The planet you guys were scheduled to visit tomorrow but I scrubbed because we got intel that Replicators were setting up a base there?"

"Yes, Sheppard, _that_ Edar." Rodney's eye-roll was unmistakable even via the radio conversation.

"You, Lorne, and Adams's team gear up," John ordered. "I want you to get Ronon out of there ASAP."

"Don't you have to run that by Elizabeth?" Rodney asked warily, though he was already heading to the armory.

"Elizabeth's out _picnicking_ with her family on the mainland," the general answered. "It's my call."

"Yes, sir," Rodney replied, with sarcastic emphasis on "sir."

Fifteen minutes later, the five men were ready to go. "Am I the only one who feels a little insecure about running an SAR against a Replicator base with only _five_ men?" Mehner asked apprehensively.

"Well, it's _our_ bonehead we're going out to find," Lorne answered, "and we've been a man short ever since--" He looked down. After a pause, he spoke up again, "Intel says that it's a very small base with only a handful of Replicators. We've got our new ARGs. Let's move out!"

When the two half-teams gated to the planet, they were met with destruction. What might have once upon a time been a Replicator building was now a smoldering heap of rubble. The men saw a damaged Replicator attempting to crawl out from underneath the rubble. Lorne quickly disintegrated it with his ARG.

"Set up a perimeter," Lorne ordered Adams and his men. "We'll search the debris."

"What, you don't honestly think he blew this place up kamikaze-style, do you?" Rodney asked as they began picking through the pieces of broken building.

"With Ronon, who knows…"

A pained groan followed by coughing brought Rodney and Lorne running to the same spot at the edge of the rubble.

"Ronon?" Rodney called, seeing his teammate's body underneath some of the rubble. "Are you okay?"

"Wall's on my foot," Ronon grunted.

"Adams, get over here and give us a hand!" Lorne called. The two of them managed to shove the piece of demolished wall off of Ronon's leg enough for Rodney to pull Ronon to his feet.

"Anything broken?" Lorne asked, eyeing the cuts and scrapes all over Ronon's arms and face.

"No."

"Mind telling me what the hell you were doing?"

"What does it look like I did?" Ronon asked, gesturing to the destroyed Replicator outpost.

"Blew up some Replicators?" Lorne guessed, humoring him.

"Yup."

"On your own?" Now Lorne was using his stern voice.

"Sheppard wasn't going to let us go…"

"So, naturally, you thought you'd just sneak off and do it by yourself?"

Ronon shrugged.

"You stupid son of a bitch," Rodney muttered angrily.

"_What_ did you call me?" Ronon growled.

"What were you thinking?!" Rodney cried. "You could have gotten yourself _killed_!"

"So?" Ronon responded apathetically.

"So what about Terena?" Rodney demanded. "Teyla is _gone_, Ronon. If you go off on your damn blood-lust for revenge and get yourself blown up, Terena will be all alone."

Ronon glared at him defensively. "I'm not gonna get mys--"

"You almost did just now! None of us with children have the right to take chances with our lives, least of all you. If you _ever_ do something that selfish and stupid again, I'll tell Sheppard to kick your ass off the team." With that fierce ultimatum, Rodney spun on his heel and began walking in the direction of the Gate, leaving Ronon stunned.

When Lorne caught up to Rodney a few seconds later, he commented quietly with a little bit of awe in his voice, "I cannot believe you just told Ronon off like that."

"God, neither can I," Rodney answered, then asked worriedly, "You think he's going to come and shoot me?"

"I don't know," Lorne replied. "Hopefully what you said hit home. I was thinking the exact same thing, but I wasn't about to tell him."

"Yeah… Hey, could you walk behind me?" Rodney asked, "Y'know, so you're between him and me."

Lorne chuckled. "Sure, McKay."

XXXXXX

_Knowing that they would both be under Laura's watchful eye, Aiden slowly entered the rec room. Rachel was sitting on one of the couches, watching a cartoon. He walked over to her and sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "Hey," he said, and couldn't believe how awkward he felt. _

_"Hey," she said back, and the sudden tension in her body language made it evident that she felt just as awkward as he did, if not more so. _

_An uncomfortable silence stretched between them for a minute. Finally Aiden wondered aloud, "How long do you think it's gonna be this…awkward between us?" _

_"Probably until we stop thinking about it and just do stuff together like we used to," she answered, looking back at the cartoon. _

_But Aiden couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't stop thinking about how close they'd been. Even now as he looked at her, he couldn't forget what she looked like with her shirt off. _

_And he wished he could. _

_As if sensing his discomfort, Rachel took one of the couch pillows beside her and hugged it to her chest as she continued to watch the cartoon. After a minute she sighed and looked over at him. "Are you gonna sit next to me and hold my hand or not?" _

_He raised an eyebrow. "With your mom over there?" _

_"She won't care." _

_"Rachel…you can't just act like it never happened." _

_"Never __**almost**__ happened," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. When she saw that he wasn't amused, she said gently, "I'm not trying to act like it didn't happen, Aiden. I'm just trying to move on because I still want to be with you. Please?" She held her hand out. Truth be told, she __**was**__ trying to forget, because she felt like their relationship might be salvageable. It had been over a week since Sheppard had found them together, and she knew it was going to take many weeks more before she and Aiden were as comfortable around each other as they had once been. But she was willing to try to get there. _

_Apparently Aiden was ready to give it a shot as well, because after a moment, he scooted over next to her and gently took her hand in his. "So what movie are you watching anyway?" he asked as the cartoon cat began to play the piano…_

Aiden watched as Rachel's fingers flew over the keys of the grand piano. She'd only been taking lessons on Earth for four years, but she had a keen aptitude for the beautiful instrument. Last year at her piano recital on Earth, she'd played Beethoven's complete _F__ü__r Elise_ without missing a note.

This year, her teacher had introduced her to ragtime and she was now playing _The Maple Leaf Rag_, which Rachel had quickly realized was much more difficult than it sounded. She missed a couple of notes, but the song had such a fast tempo, she didn't think anyone would notice. When she finished the song, she stood from the bench and bowed, smiling when she saw her family and friends in the audience. She exited the stage and returned to her seat, while an older student took their turn.

At the reception twenty minutes later, Rachel was giving polite "thank you"s to the parents of other students who congratulated her on her performance. She smiled when she saw her parents and Aiden approaching her, both men carrying flowers.

"You did absolutely wonderful, m'darlin!" Carson congratulated his daughter, pulling her into a hug with his free hand.

"Thank you, Daddy." Rachel smiled happily. "Are these for me?"

"Aye," he said, handing her the bouquet of a half-dozen red roses.

"They're beautiful," she said, smelling one.

"You looked so graceful up there, hon," Laura said, hugging her daughter. "And I didn't hear a single wrong note."

"Just 'cause you didn't hear it, doesn't mean I didn't hit one," Rachel laughed.

Aiden presented her with his roses next. Three were orange, three were yellow, edged with pink. "You know that out of all the boring stuff we had to listen to in music class this year, Scott Joplin was the only guy I liked?" he asked casually.

"I picked it just for you."

He smiled. "It sounded really good."

She smiled back. "Thanks." She brought a hand up to his face and kissed him. She didn't let her lips linger, though, because she could feel her father's eyes on her. "I'm thirsty," she stated. "Aiden, want to get some punch and cookies?"

"Sure."

"I'll hold your flowers, dear," Carson said, taking the bouquets. "We'll be over here talking to Mrs. Stoltenberg, so whenever you're ready to leave, come find us."

"We will," Rachel promised, taking Aiden's hand and pulling him around the corner toward the refreshments table.

"They're leaving us alone?" Aiden wondered aloud in surprise. "They can't see us over here."

"I think they trust us not to sneak off to the restroom and do it, Aiden," Rachel said. "What kind of cookie do you want?"

"You really think they trust us again?" he asked, hopeful.

She shrugged. "It's been, like, eight months since. We haven't crossed any boundaries or gone anywhere alone together. I think they just might." She gave him a cheery smile and handed him a chocolate chip cookie.

"Your eternal optimism is one of the things I love about you," he commented, realizing as soon as the words had left his mouth that it sounded a little corny.

But Rachel didn't seem to care. She just giggled and kissed him again.

XXXXXX

"Now tell me how you got _this_ one," Terena said, tracing her index finger over the thin scar that completely encircled Ronon's right wrist.

"Don't we have something more interesting to do together than play show and tell with my scars?" Ronon asked his little girl.

Terena giggled. "I want to know how you got it, Father," she insisted.

"This one was back when we finally defeated the Wraith," Ronon answered. "My whole hand came off and Carson had to reattach it."

Terena's eyes went wide. "What happened?"

"I was sword-fighting with a Wraith on a hive. Ugliest Wraith you'd ever seen." He loved the enthralled expression on her face as he told the story. "We'd been clashing swords for a long time, and just when McKay rigged the hive to blow up, the Wraith cut off my hand."

"Oh, Father! Did it hurt?"

"In the heat of the fight, I didn't feel a thing," he told her, his answer only half-true. "Then Carson was able to put it back on."

Terena traced the scar again. "You're really brave, aren't you, Father?"

Ronon smiled. "Sometimes, squirt."

Terena shifted on the bed and stretched. "Oh! Catie and Dakota have invited me to a 'slumber party' at their quarters this evening." She made air-quotes, which Ronon thought was absolutely adorable. "May I go?"

"It's fine with me, go ask your--" He swallowed. "It's fine with me."

"Thanks," she said quietly, knowing full well what he had been about to say.

A moment later, she popped up again. "I'm bored, Father."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know… Give me something to do," she requested.

"Oh, _I_ have to pick?" He thought for a moment, then smirked devilishly. "I dare you to go steal Kyle's homework."

Terena gasped. "Father, that's awful!" She paused and slowly grinned. "I'll be back in a while, Father."

He waved goodbye, then lay back to take a nap.

* * *

"Terena!" Kyle squealed; the twelve-year-old was a bit of a late bloomer and his voice hadn't changed yet.

"Can't catch me!" Terena called back, giggling and waving her friend's papers over her head as she ran down the hall. She darted into one of the public restrooms and Kyle followed.

"Terena, please!" he called, grabbing her arm as she entered one of the stalls.

"I'll flush it!" she threatened, holding the papers over the edge of the toilet bowl.

"No! I'll do anything!" he begged, still tugging on her arm. Terena paused and looked thoughtful. "Well?" he prompted after a moment. "What do I have to do to get my homework back from you?"

"I'm thinking!"

"Well, think faster, that's due tomorrow."

Suddenly a smile lit up Terena's face. "I became a woman last week," she announced.

Kyle couldn't have regarded her with a stranger expression. "What does that have to do with you stealing my homework?"

"Because I'm going to have my Shr'la ceremony in two week's time. And I…" She blushed. "I am supposed to dance during the ceremony. With a boy. It shows that I'm a woman now or something silly." When she realized from his stare that he still wasn't following, she asked, "Will you learn the dance with me? And participate in the ceremony?"

Now realization dawned on Kyle. "Okay. Just gimme my papers!"

Terena handed him his homework and Kyle released her arm. Straightening out the wrinkled sheets of homework problems, Kyle informed her, "You could have just asked."

Terena smiled. "Oh."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "You're a dork."

She playfully whacked his arm. "_You're_ a dork!"

XXXXXX

"Hey, honey, whatcha doin'?" Evie asked, seeing her son staring critically at the stapled stack of papers in front of him.

"Finishing my college applications," Aiden answered, handing her one. "It makes me feel so old."

"Try being the _mom_ watching her baby getting ready to go off to college," Evie teased.

Aiden nodded, then asked quickly, "You're not gonna cry, are you?"

"Now? No. Later? Heck yes." When she saw that almost all the name blanks on the application read "Aiden Nathaniel Broo Sheppard", with the "Broo" crossed out, she couldn't help but smile. "Still adjusting, honey?"

Aiden sighed and Evie couldn't tell if he was annoyed because he _had_ to take John's name, or if he was just frustrated that he'd messed up all over the application. "The stupid thing says to use a pen, so I can't erase it, and Ms. Jones hasn't cared if I was Aiden Sheppard or Aiden Brooks, so I'm not used to writing it on stuff."

She nodded knowingly; she'd made the same mistake for a while, too. "Is it all done?"

"Yeah. You gonna mail it off?"

"We'll stick it on the _Cerberus_ along with the rest of the outgoing mail. Do you have the other one?"

Aiden handed her another application, this one with _MIT_ emblazoned on the top. Aiden and John had spent a few days visiting colleges, and John had convinced Aiden that he needed to apply to more than one, just in case.

"Hey," came John's voice from behind them. "Ooh, college applications," he observed, stopping beside Aiden's chair. "Fun."

"Oh my gosh, no they _weren't_," Aiden groaned. "They were awful and long and boring."

John chuckled. "Well that's why we're going to go play Halo 9, remember? It just got in today."

"Oh…" Aiden sounded disappointed.

"Oh?" John repeated.

"I want to go," Aiden said honestly, "but… me and Aaron have a math test coming up tomorrow and we were going to study for it."

"Oh." John nodded. "Well, I _guess_ that's a good enough excuse. We can always play some other time."

"You sure?" Aiden asked, grabbing his pen and folder and standing up.

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

"'Kay. Thanks, Dad," he said, turning to leave.

John nodded and looked down at the applications in Evie's hands. Suddenly, his head snapped up and he gawked at the retreating form of his son. "Did he just--?"

"Yeah." Evie smiled. "He did."


	57. Growing Up and Getting Older

A/N: :pretends that it's still Wednesday:

* * *

**Eighteen Years Old**

_"I am what I am. I'm super-fortified, hundred-proof girl with a band, and I'm a velveteen rabbit made of steel with a plan. I'm not your Seventeen girl but it's worth not of can of worms. I'm not your beauty queen. I'm not the girl in Glamour magazine. I'm not running for Miss Popularity, 'cause I won't be what I can't be. But I want to be real. I want to find out who I am. And I will find my way to heal and I will find my voice, my stand." - Superchick, "Real"_

"Mmm…bacon," Ronon said appreciatively as he approached the table at which John, Rodney, and Mary were sitting.

"Where's Terena?" John asked when he didn't see the charming girl at her father's side.

"On the mainland," Ronon answered, eating half a waffle in one big bite.

"Alone?" Mary asked, concerned.

Ronon nodded. "For her rite of passage."

"Didn't she just do that, like, a year ago?" John asked.

"No, that was her 'I'm a big girl now!' celebration ceremony," Rodney corrected. "This is her 'I am twelve. Fear me.' thing."

Ronon nodded his assent. "The 'woman thing' wasn't a big deal back on Sateda, but Teyla had told her about it and Terena wanted to do it. But both my people and Teyla's have similar coming of age rituals."

"So she's out there by herself all day?" Mary asked.

"Ten days."

"You're leaving her out there alone for _ten days_?" She looked very worried now.

"I know she's ready," Ronon said confidently. "She's got a knife. And a beaming transmitter in case the planet comes under attack."

"Didn't Terena have her birthday in September, though?" John asked. "It's the beginning of April."

"I wasn't about to send her out in the middle of the Lantean winter," Ronon said. "There'd be no game for her to catch and she'd freeze to death. Fall's honestly the best time, but she'll make do with spring."

"Getting rid of your kid for ten days…" Rodney said thoughtfully. "Where do I sign up?"

"_Rodney_!" Mary hit his shoulder.

"I was joking!"

"You better be."

He nodded. "Catie and Koda wouldn't need ten days; they'd kill each other in two."

Mary gave him a look.

"You could always send _him_ off, Mary," John teased.

"Nah. He's been a good husband while I've had migraines all week," Mary said, patting his arm.

"Aww. Rodney, the domesticated house-husband," John teased.

Rodney just rolled his eyes.

XXXXXX

Later that afternoon, Mary got another migraine and found herself lying in bed while Rodney did a chore for her. "Thank you, Rodney," she said with a smile as she watched her husband dump the basket of clean clothes next to her on the bed. "I really appreciate you doing the laundry for me this week."

"Well, none of us had any clean clothes, so I kind of _had_ to," he said as he began folding a shirt.

She chuckled. "No, dear. You're supposed to say, 'Oh, it's no problem. Anything for _you_, Mary.'"

"Oh, it's no problem. I'd do anything for _you_, Mary," he repeated with a cheesy smile.

She giggled. "Good boy."

"Ooh." Rodney held up a black thong with pink bows on the sides. "When are you gonna wear this for me?" he teased suggestively.

Mary looked up a the garment in question. "That's not mine," she stated.

He looked at the skimpy underwear with a frown. "Somebody else's laundry got mixed in with ours?"

"No, that's Catie's," Mary replied.

Rodney's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider. "What?!" he cried. "No! Nononono_no_! She can't wear this!"

"And why not?" Mary asked with a hint of amusement.

"She just _can't_!" he insisted. "Only slutty girls wear these!" He hurled it into the trashcan.

"A minute ago you wanted _me_ to wear it," Mary pointed out.

"That was before I knew it belonged to my _fifteen-year-old daughter_!"

She chuckled and shook her head at him.

"What?"

"I was just remembering how much you _freaked out_ and were against it when you found out that we were having a baby, and then again when you found out it was twin girls, and now I don't think you could be more protective of them if you tried."

"Yes, well…if they weren't around, I think I'd miss them always nagging me, 'Daddy, I don't understand my homework! Daddy, help me with my project! Daddy, can you fix this?'"

"You like that better than 'Daddy, play dress-up with me!' and 'Daddy, paint my nails!'?"

Rodney snorted. "Y'know, I guess I do kind of miss that a little…"

"Makes you think about having another one, doesn't it?"

"Yeah… Wait, what?!" he cried.

"Rodney… You remember a few weeks ago when we ended up having sex in your lab?" Rodney's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "And we didn't use anything?" Now he looked like he was going to faint.

"Y-you're not seriously pregnant?!" he managed, his voice strained.

Mary burst into hysterical laughter. "Oh, Rodney!" she gasped between the laughter. "You should see your face!"

Rodney glared at her. "That is so wrong, it's not even funny."

"I'm sorry," she giggled. "You set it up so well, I couldn't help it."

He threw a sock at her. "Aren't you too old to have more babies, anyway?"

"You calling me _old_, Rodney?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nono, of course not," he said hastily. "I just meant…y'know…haven't you gone through that, umm…thing?"

"Not yet. And when I do, you'll know about it, believe me. Haven't you seen Evie?"

"What's wrong with Evie?"

"She's going through menopause," Mary replied, as if the answer was obvious.

Rodney winced at the word. "She is?"

"How could you _not_ have noticed? She's always saying how hot it is and if you look at her funny, she'll start crying, the poor baby."

He snorted. "Poor _Sheppard_ is more like it…"

* * *

"Is it hot in here to you guys?" Evie asked as she watched a movie with her family.

"No," Aiden and John answered together, their tones indicating that their patience was just about used up.

A few seconds later, Evie pushed John's arm off her. "It is _seriously_ hot in here," she whined, flapping her shirt.

"Geez, Evie," John groaned in frustration. "Why don't you go get a popsicle or something?"

Evie just stared at him, her bottom lip trembling. Before he had a chance to say anything, she burst into tears.

"What'd I do?" John asked, surprised. "Why are you crying?"

"I don't know!" Evie sobbed. She picked up a couch pillow and buried her face in it.

After exchanging a bewildered, but slightly amused, look with Aiden, John asked Evie, "Want _me_ to go get you popsicle?"

He got a muffled "Uh-huh" in response. When he stood up to leave, she pulled the pillow away and looked up at him. "No, wait… I want a… f-fudge-sicle.."

"I don't think they have any of those," Aiden replied.

Evie's lip started quivering again and she brought the pillow back to her face to cover the new set of sobs.

"You know what? We'll find you one," John said quickly, pulling Aiden up and mouthing "Go, go!"

XXXXXX

"I thought the Valopin was supposed to get rid of _all_ the side-effects, Carson," John groaned.

"Aye. But since Evie is the first one to go through menopause with the aid of Valopin, we're still trying to figure out proper dosage," Carson explained.

"Can't you give her something in the meantime?" John whined.

"Nothing I have is going to help, but I'll give _you_ a knock upside the head if you don't quit complaining to me about it."

"C'mon, doc," John rolled his eyes. "This 'change' can't be _that_ bad."

Carson gestured to the empty chair beside him. "Sit down and I'll explain exactly how bad she feels."

John winced. "Think I'll pass."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing. It will go much smoother for the both of you if you'll have more patience with her. And for God's sake, stop making her cry."

John looked incredulous. "I didn't--!"

"Daddy?"

Carson looked up when he heard his daughter's voice. "Hold on a second, darlin.'"

"No, I gotta go anyway," John said. "I promised Evie a fudge-sicle."

"A'right," Carson nodded and John left. "Yes, Rachel?" he said, turning to his daughter.

"Daddy, I need you to take a look at something… But you have to promise not to get mad, okay?"

"I won't get mad at you, love," he gently assured her. "What's wrong?" He patted the empty examination table next to him.

Rachel hopped up on the table, then noticed Nurse Emma talking to another woman on the other side of the room. Having always been shy, she pulled the curtain across the bed so that the nurses wouldn't see.

When his daughter lifted the hem of her shirt and undid the button on her jeans, Carson's eyebrows about flew off his face. "Good Lord, Rachel, not an STD?!"

Rachel looked up at him, appalled. "No, Daddy. I'm not _stupid_," she answered with a frown. "I know you'd kill me and Aiden if we tried anything again." She then pointed to the small, shiny piece of metal adorning her navel.

Carson gasped. "Rachel Anne Beckett! What were you thinking?"

"Oh, come on, Daddy," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "You didn't care when I got my ears pierced."

"That was different," he said, crossing his arms.

She sighed. "Can you just give me some cream or something for it?" The cheap stud had caused a severe irritation of her skin.

"Aye, as soon as you remove that atrocity."

"But, Daddeeeeeee," she whined.

"No buts, young lady, or I'll rip it out m'self," he ordered firmly.

Rachel crossed her arms defiantly, but sighed and complied when her father raised his eyebrow. She winced as she gingerly pulled the ring from her bellybutton and then placed it in Carson's waiting hand.

Slipping the piece of jewelry into his pocket, Carson shook his head. "A wise man once said that the only use for a navel ring on a teenage girl was to attach the chastity belt lock to it," he said with a hint of a smile.

Rachel gave him a look and Carson turned to find the proper ointment for his daughter. "I'll be right back."

He returned a moment later with a small tube of white cream. "When did you get this done, Rachel?" he asked, unscrewing the cap.

"A week ago," she sighed. "Caitlyn did it."

Carson shook his head. "You children…" he muttered, gently rubbing the medicine on her inflamed skin. "Do I need to lecture you on how unsafe that was?"

"No, Daddy," Rachel answered with a sigh and then giggled when she felt her father's hand lightly tickle her stomach. "Daddy, stoppit," she smiled, pushing his hands away.

He smiled. "You run along now. And please stay away from that sort of foolishness."

"Okay, Daddy." When her father turned to go, she called after him, "Hey, wanna go get some ice cream with me?"

Carson looked at all the empty beds in the infirmary. "I suppose I can leave my shift a lit'le early."

Rachel smiled. "Good. Then I can tell you about the tattoo Aaron gave me last night."

"Darlin', you had better be joking, or I'll cut it off you with a scalpel."

Rachel giggled. "Don't worry, Daddy; Catie's one needle was enough for me." She grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward the door. "C'mon, let's go."

XXXXXX

John had taken Carson's advice and tried to be more patient with Evie. He'd patiently gotten her three frozen treats in a row. He'd patiently watched a chick flick with her and held her while she sobbed through it. He'd patiently played gin with her and let her win every time. And now at bedtime, he found himself patiently adjusting the temperature in their quarters to her liking. And he was bundled up under the covers like an Eskimo.

Evie yanked off her shirt and hurled it across the room. "Baby, can you make the room colder?" she begged again.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because Atlantis has failsafes to prevent the rooms from reaching subarctic temperatures."

She fanned her face with her hand. "Oh, stop being dramatic."

"Evie…" He poked his head out from the blankets. "I'm under the sheet, the quilt, and the comforter, _and_ I've got all my clothes on. The room is plenty cold."

She sighed and continued fanning herself. After a pause, she asked, "Wanna have sex?"

John chuckled. "Of all the women going through this, _you_ would be in the tiny percent that doesn't have any negative effects in _that_ area."

"Yeah… So do you wanna have sex?"

"I'm too cold."

"Sex'll warm you up."

"Not tonight."

"Party pooper." She shivered suddenly, her hot flash ending as abruptly as it had started. "Gimme some of the covers; it's freezing in here."

John just chuckled to himself and wrapped the blankets and his arm around her. "As you wish."

XXXXXX

With nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon, Kyle and Skylar found themselves hanging out in the rec room with their parents. They were listening as their dad related their latest mission to Chuck, who was off-duty as well.

"Turns out the little guy was just lost from the rest of his colony and wanted our help."

"Yeah, it was _so_ 'E.T. phone home,'" Summer commented and Michael laughed.

Kyle just stared at her blankly. "What's an E.T.?"

Summer made a mental note to stop making references her children wouldn't understand. "Nevermind."

Kyle sighed heavily. "I'm so bored."

"Why don't you go play with Terena?" Summer suggested, knowing how well the two children got along.

"I would, but she's gone," Kyle lamented. "She has to finish her rite of passage, and she won't be back for five more days."

"Well maybe you can… Hmm…" Summer had to stop and think.

"Why don't you and Ronon get together and plan a little party for when she gets back?" Michael proposed.

A smile lit up Kyle's face. "That's a good idea, Dad!" He jumped off the couch and quickly left the rec room.

"I think I'm gonna go draw or something," Skylar said, standing up and putting her iPod earphones into her ears.

"What are you listening to, Skye?" Michael asked, faintly hearing her loud music.

"The Android Sisters," she answered.

"The Andrews Sisters? Seriously?"

"_Android_ Sisters, Dad," she corrected sweetly. "Me and Caitlyn and Rachel went to their concert last week, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Michael nodded. "Hey, before you go, do you know where Aaron is?"

"He's got a calculus test tomorrow," she answered, "so I'm sure he's studying with Aiden."

* * *

"You know what? Calculus is just retarded," Aaron said, shoving his book across the table.

"No, it's not," Aiden said, not looking up from his problem. "It actually makes sense, as opposed to freakin' chemistry…"

"What, did you get your dad's Mensa gene or something?" Aaron teased.

Aiden shook his head. "I'm just good with numbers. That's why I'm majoring in advanced math, remember?" Both boys looked up when they heard Sheppard's voice entering the mess hall.

"Is there an Aiden Nathaniel Sheppard in here?"

Aaron smirked. "Middle name. What'd you do, man?"

"I didn't do anything!" Aiden insisted. "Over here, Dad." He waved both his parents over.

"This came on the _Cerberus _today." John handed over a large white envelope. "It's from the Air Force Academy," he said with an excited grin.

Aiden's eyes went wide and he grabbed the envelope. "Holy crap…" He quickly tore through the paper at the top.

"Want me to read it for you?" Aaron joked.

"Heck, no," Aiden said as he pulled out the oh-so-important piece of paper. He quickly began to read aloud. "Dear Mr. Sheppard…we are pleased to inform you of your acceptance into the United States Air Force Academy!" Anything else that the acceptance letter might have said was forgotten as Aiden leapt out of his chair and the four of them cheered.

"Holy crap, I seriously did it!" He was so excited, he was jumping up and down. "Holy crap!" It felt a little bit surreal as he read the words to himself again. And again and again. He was vaguely aware of his parents and best friend congratulating him profusely. After a minute of staring at the letter and grinning like an idiot, he realized that there were other people that he wanted to share the news with, too. "Oh gosh, I gotta tell Aunt Summer and Uncle Michael!" he said, starting to dash off. "I gotta tell Rachel!"

XXXXXX

"You weren't scared at _all_?" Kyle asked skeptically.

Terena ate another big bite of Athosian cake. "Okay," she said, licking the frosting off her lips a second later, "maybe I was just a little bit. But only at night."

"What did you eat?"

"Mostly chachi berries and fish," Terena answered. "Oh! And I killed a lesquil one day." She grinned proudly.

Kyle wrinkled his nose. "You ate a _squirrel_?"

She nodded. "It tasted alright. Father says they're actually quite good for you."

"If you say so," Kyle said, pushing his chair back. "Would you like to dance, Terena? I still remember the one you taught me."

Terena smiled and took the hand he was offering. As they began dancing to the live Athosian music, she said, "I'm really glad you threw me this party, Kyle. Thank you."

He spun her out, and then back close to him. "Were you lonely?"

"Of course, silly," she answered. "I was all alone with the birds for ten days. I missed everybody."

"Me?"

"Maybe…" she said with a coy smile. They touched their palms together, then stepped apart, back in again, the steps of a traditional Athosian dance. When the music slowed down a little bit, Kyle took her hands in his as their movements became more like a waltz.

"So what do the other boys think of you dancing?" Terena teased after a moment.

Kyle shrugged. "Aaron thinks it's silly, but I don't care. At least _I_ don't sleep with a teddy bear like he does." She giggled at this, and he admired the way her eyes sparkled along with the mirth in her laughter. "You look very pretty tonight, Terena," he told her. And indeed she did, wearing a dark dress and her hair let down.

Terena blushed. "Thanks." She noticed that he was looking at her differently than he usually did. She thought that maybe he was just in awe of her uncharacteristically feminine appearance. When he brought a hand up to softly touch her face and his eyes darted to her mouth, she realized what he was thinking. She didn't make any movement to stop him, and closed her eyes when his lips brushed against hers.

Only a second later, Kyle pulled back, and she asked, "What was that for?"

Kyle actually blushed a little, and didn't really have an answer. "I… I'm not sure," he answered, and his nervousness melted away when she giggled at him. "Was it bad?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "How should I know?" When she saw her father returning to his table with a full mug of beer, she took his hand and said, "C'mon, silly, let's go get some punch."


	58. Feliz Cumpleanos

**A/N:** Okay, I think the Story Alert thing is broken and that's why y'all don't seem to have read the last chapter. Or, maybe you guys all hated the last one so much that you didn't review. Anyways, this is just a heads-up in case FF-dot-net screwed up again. **Please make sure that you have read the last chapter. **It's not incredibly crucial, but it's a very sweet chapter. :)

* * *

**Eighteen Years Old - April 2024**

_"This is who I am and this is what I like. GC, Sum, and Blink and MxPx rockin' my room. If you're looking for me, I'll be at the show. I can never find a better place to go. Until the day I die, I promise I won't change. So you better give up! I don't wanna be told to grow up! And I don't wanna change, I just wanna have fun. I don't wanna be told to grow up, and I don't wanna change. So you better give up, 'cause I'm not gonna change. I don't wanna grow up." - Simple Plan, "Grow Up"_

"Emergency team to the gym, immediately," came a man's voice over the radios.

"Wonder what that's about," John commented, still trying to pay attention to the video game he was playing.

"Who knows," Aiden answered. Suddenly, he paused the game. "Dad, isn't Mom sparring in the gym with Dr. Coulson right now?"

John looked at his watch and frowned. "Yeah…" He put down his controller and quickly stood up. "And that was Dr. Coulson's voice. C'mon."

Aiden and John were relatively close to the gym, so the journey didn't take them long. They could hear the screams before they reached the door and John felt a shiver go up his spine. The last time he'd heard her in that much pain… He quickly pushed the memories aside and commanded the door open.

When the two men entered, they saw Coulson kneeling next to Evie, who was sprawled out on the floor and crying out in extreme pain.

John was at his wife's side in a second. "Hey. You okay, Evie?" he asked worriedly, and realized when she just sobbed in response that it was a dumb question. "Coulson, what happened?"

"We were sparring pretty intensely, sir," Coulson explained. "She landed on her leg and her knee popped out of socket."

John winced. While he himself had never endured a dislocated knee, it had happened to his dad when John was five, and he remembered how it had reduced his always-strong father to tears. "You're gonna be fine, Evie, I promise," John said gently. "Carson's on his way." He took her hand. "Squeeze as hard as you need to, sweetheart. He'll be here any minute." Evie gripped his hand tightly, trying to focus on something other than the pain. When she felt his other hand begin gently stroking her head, she started to relax ever so slightly.

A minute later, Carson and a young male nurse rushed into the gym with a gurney and an IV stand. Carson knelt on the floor next to Evie and took her hand while the nurse, Joseph, began preparing the IV. "So I hear you've gone and dislocated your knee this time, Evie?" Coulson had been helpful enough to relay the details of Evie's injury to Carson earlier over a private channel.

She wiped her eyes and nodded. "It really hurts, Carson," she whispered.

"I know, love. Joseph there is going to give you some morphine, if you'll give him your arm." Evie did as she was told and didn't even wince at the needle.

Taking a pair of scissors, Carson explained, "Now, Evie, I'm just going to cut your pant leg and see what I'm dealin' with, a'right?"

She nodded again and then felt him cutting the fabric along her leg. With the cloth out of the way a few seconds later, Carson examined the injured appendage. "It's swollen, but that's to be expected. It doesn't look very bad, love."

"It _feels_ very bad," she shot back through clenched teeth.

"I know, I'm sorry." He placed his fingers on her wrist and took her pulse. "A little fast, but again, that's normal."

"If you say so."

"Now, Evie," he said gently, "we're not even going to move you onto the stretcher until the morphine's kicked in. So you let me know when you can feel it working."

Evie sniffled and nodded. She squeezed John's hand again.

A minute later, Evie took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm ready, Carson."

"You sure?" When she nodded, he began explaining what he was about to do. "A'right, Evie. Joseph and I are going to _very_ gently move you onto this stretcher. It's not going to be painless, but we'll be as careful as we can."

"And then?" Evie wanted to know.

"And then we'll get you back to the infirmary and pop your knee back into place."

"'Kay. Don't pay attention to anything I may scream when you move me."

Carson chuckled. "I won't. John, I'll need you to step back, please."

Evie squeezed John's hand before letting it go; he stood up and moved next to Aiden.

Carson and Joseph moved Evie onto the stretcher on the count of three, and despite the morphine, she still cried out at the jostling.

Aiden winced when his mother sobbed again and John noticed that his son looked ready to burst into tears.

John bumped Aiden's shoulder with his own. "Hey. She's going to be fine. She's broken her arm, been stabbed in the stomach, had three gunshot wounds, been in an explosion, _and_ had a baby. She can handle a busted knee."

Aiden nodded. He knew she'd be okay, he just couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain.

After Carson and Joseph had carefully placed Evie's stretcher on the gurney, the Scot said, "You two may accompany us to the infirmary if you like," and then they started to wheel her out of the gym.

"You just want her to scream things at _me_ instead of you when you pop it back into socket," John said knowingly.

"Aye, that may be part of it," Carson replied with a smile.

XXXXXX

"I brought you some dinner, Mom," Aiden said, carrying a tray full of pasta.

"I'm not hungry," Evie said grumpily.

"When you sent me to go get it five minutes ago, you were starving," Aiden said, confused.

"Well, I don't want it anymore." She crossed her arms like a child.

"She's pouting," Carson explained.

"Why?"

"Because Carson the _Nazi_ says that I can't be on my feet at all today or tomorrow, which means I can't go to Earth with you and John tomorrow to celebrate your birthday."

Aiden's face fell. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Now you see why I'm pouting."

"We can stay here, Mom," Aiden decided after a minute. "We'll just have a little party here. We don't have to go."

"Of course you do," Evie insisted. "You two have been talking about this for weeks. I want y'all to go and have a good time."

"Are you sure?"

Evie nodded. "I'm sure you'll have more fun at the sports bar without me there, anyways."

"We'll get more drunk at least." Evie gave him a stern look. "I'm kidding. Can we still make my cake together?"

Evie smiled happily. It had been a tradition they'd started when Aiden was three, and she was more than pleased that he'd continued doing it with her even now that he was older. "Of course. You'll have to wheel me into the kitchen, though," she said, nodding her head toward the wheelchair that Carson had left sitting near her bed.

"Sure. But we can't have cake unless you eat your dinner first," he teased, handing her the tray of food.

Evie just rolled her eyes.

XXXXXX

Aiden, Evie, and John were having breakfast together the morning of Aiden's birthday when their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of pots and pans clanging together and several people cheering.

Aiden immediately knew what the noise meant. "Mom, you didn't _seriously_ tell the kitchen staff!" he cried.

Evie pulled out her camera. "Yeah, I seriously did," she grinned.

Aiden started to get up, but Evie grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving the table.

"Mom, c'mon, it's embarrassing!" Aiden hissed.

"I wrecked my knee and can't party with y'all tonight. You _will_ sit here and let me enjoy this."

Aiden groaned and stopped pulling against her grip.

"Hey, she did this to me when I turned fifty, remember?" John pointed out.

"Yeah, but she didn't have a _camera_ with her that time," Aiden whined, remembering…

_"Well, we've got to get to a briefing, so I guess we'll see you later, Major," John said, placing his cup back on his tray. _

_"Wait a sec," Evie said, grabbing his wrist, then remembering her place and letting go of him. _

_"Why?" _

_"Just wait for it, sir," she answered with an impish grin. _

_A few moments later, John heard the rhythmic banging of pots and pans and the whooping of the kitchen staff, and he realized why his wife was sitting there trying not to laugh. _

_"Evie, you __**didn't**__!" He was incredulous. _

_"Fifty is special, sir," she explained. "Besides, Rodney was in on it, too." _

_John turned and glared at McKay. "You're both going to pay for this." _

_Teyla looked utterly confused. "I do not understand." _

_"It's Colonel Sheppard's birthday today," Evie said with a grin. "Haven't you been in the mess hall when one of the kids had a birthday before?" Teyla shook her head. "Oh. Well, it's gonna be hilarious, I promise." _

_A minute later, John was surrounded by the kitchen staff and a giant green sombrero was placed on his head. Rodney, Evie, and Teyla couldn't help but start laughing, and John couldn't stop his face from flushing. _

_"Hey, everyone, get your hands and clap, and move to the beat of the birthday rap," the kitchen staff began to sing, and Evie just about fell out of her chair laughing…_

XXXXXX

Stuffed full of birthday cake, John and Aiden stepped through the Gate into the SGC with Evie's final warning of "Do _not_ come back drunk," echoing in their minds.

"Good evening, John," General Davis greeted them. "Out for a night on the town?" he asked, noting their civilian clothes.

"Yes, sir," John answered, shaking the hand of the man who had replaced General Landry after his retirement about six years ago. "We're going to Harrison's to watch the Yankees-Sox game."

"You that big of a baseball fan, Sheppard?" Davis asked, amused. "Or is this a special occasion?"

"Today's my eighteenth birthday, sir," Aiden spoke up.

"Well, congratulations, son," Davis said with a smile. "We've got a car waiting for you two on the surface. Enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you, sir," John said, then the two of them left the Gate Room. "So, you ready for this?"

"This?" Aiden repeated as they stepped into the elevator.

"Yeah." John pushed the button that would take them to the surface. "Beer, baseball, really expensive bar snacks…more beer…"

"Not to mention some hot booty," Aiden commented, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

John didn't hesitate to smack Aiden upside the head.

"Hey!"

"If there's one thing your mother and I taught you, I should hope it's to respect women," John said, though his tone wasn't harsh, knowing that he'd had the exact same thoughts when he was Aiden's age. "Women are people, not objects."

"I _know_ that," Aiden frowned. "But these aren't respectable girls; they're bar waitresses with mini-skirts and huge…tracts of land."

Sheppard couldn't hide an amused smile at the movie reference and Aiden pointed a finger at him, "See? Your mind's in the gutter, too."

"Why don't you hush and get off the elevator so we don't miss the game?" John asked, pointing to the open doors.

"Dad, we've got a while to kill before the game starts."

John looked at his watch. "Okay. Do you have something in mind?"

Aiden grinned. "Yeah. I do."

XXXXXX

"You really wanna do this?" John asked, surveying the building before them with apprehension.

"Yeah," Aiden answered resolutely. "Why, are you chickening out?" He smirked at his father.

"No," John answered. "But you know your mom is going to kill us both."

Aiden rolled his eyes. "I'll tell her we were careful. C'mon." He started walking toward the glass door. "We've got to get this done before the game starts."

XXXXXX

"Off-world activation," Chuck called out, ten minutes to midnight. A moment later he added, "It's Stargate Command."

Evie smiled and used her crutches to help pull herself up off the bottom stair in the Gate Room. She very carefully hobbled over to the active Gate, just in time to meet her family as they stepped through.

"Did you guys have fun?" Evie asked with a smile. "Did the Yankees win the game?"

"Hell yeah, they did!" Aiden answered excitedly. Then he realized what he'd said. "I mean, umm, heck…"

When Evie noticed that Aiden cheerful expression looked just the slightest bit dopey, she asked, "John, how many beers did you let him have?"

"See, I don't think it's actually a question of how many, considering that they were spread out over almost five hours, an--"

"John."

"Four." He tried his best to look innocent.

"But I'm totally not drunk, Mom," Aiden insisted. "I'm just a bit…loose."

Evie sighed. "I suppose four over five hours isn't the worst answer I could have heard."

John looked relieved. He'd done his best to make sure Aiden paced himself, and told his son he could not have any more after the fourth one.

"What was the final score?" Evie asked.

"Seven to six," Aiden answered. "It was a really good game."

"Good." She smiled. "So did you guys do anything else?"

John and Aiden exchanged a mischievous smirk.

"_Guys_?"

"We did make _one_ other stop," Aiden said, and began rolling up his sleeve. John followed suit.

As soon as Evie saw the bandages on their biceps, she knew what they were about to show her. She waited patiently as they peeled the bandages away to reveal newly healing tattoos.

The artist had used a navy blue ink to carefully stencil the image of a beautiful, floating city into their skin.

Evie could think of a thousand ways to start berating them but bit her tongue, deciding to give John a stern talking-to later. "Y'all are dumb," she said instead.

"You don't like the design?" Aiden asked.

"That's not what I have the issue with."

"Mom, all the needles and all the tools were new and sterilized, I promise," Aiden assured her. "Please don't be mad."

"I'm not _mad_, I just wish you would have asked."

"Do you like 'em?" John asked.

"Well, 'like' might be a strong word, but they do look kind of cool," she said, tracing the new design on her husband's arm. "Did it hurt?"

"No," he lied.

Evie poked his arm.

"Oww!"

She smirked. "Liar. You know, Elizabeth is going to flip out that you guys breached security."

"Relax, mom. When the guy asked about the design, I told him it was just something I drew."

Evie rolled her eyes. "You've always been able to fib your way out of things."

"He got that from you," John teased.

"Darn right he did."

"So, I'm not in trouble?" Aiden asked, his expression hopeful.

Evie sighed. "No, as long as you take care of it. I don't want you to come crying to me in three days screaming, 'Mom, mom! My arm is falling off!'"

Aiden chuckled. "I won't."

"So, any other surprises that I should know about?"

"Actually, yeah," John spoke up. "Before we came home, General Davis at the SGC told us that after slowly introducing alien technology into mainstream use, the President is finally going to reveal the existence the Stargate program."

"Really?" Evie looked surprised.

"Yeah. And I wanna be there when you tell your parents what you _really_ do." He grinned.

She chuckled. "Wow. That's… Just wow. Isn't she worried about causing a panic?"

"The Goa'uld are gone, the Ori are gone, the Wraith are nearing extinction, and the Replicators are only a threat here in Pegasus. Hopefully since she's telling them during a time of intergalactic peace, they'll take it better than if it were _Independence Day_."

Evie chuckled. "Probably so."

"Independence day?" Aiden questioned.

"It's an old alien movie," Evie explained. "With Will Smith."

"Will who?"

She shook her head. "Nevermind."

"Anyways, he gave me the heads-up that I might have to make a few public appearances."

"Why?"

"Supposedly the President is also going to mention Atlantis, though not with any details. Davis said that Elizabeth and I might have to talk the press or something boring."

"Are spouses invited to these shindigs?"

"I'll insist up on it."

Evie grinned. "I'll get to buy a new dress!" Aiden and John rolled their eyes. "So, is the President just going to address the nation and tell them straight out that this has been going on behind their backs for almost thirty years?"

"Apparently they've got an SGC documentary by some guy named Bregman," John answered. "They're going to show that, along with the President's speech."

"I would not want to be her," Evie said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, and she's gonna be up for re-election this year."

Evie snickered. "After dropping _this_ bomb? Good luck…"

"Okay, now that I've sat through that very boring conversation, is there any cake left?" Aiden asked.

"In the kitchen, honey," Evie answered, then called after his retreating form, "Don't make yourself sick!"


	59. Best Kept Secret

**A/N:** Okay...I don't know what happened to you guys... I hope y'all didn't die. lol. This chapter is all Tigger's fault. She told me that there had to be sixty chapters, then gave me ideas to fill it up. FINAL chapter will be up on Wednesay, and that's a promise, 'cause it's done and ready to go. :-D

* * *

_"Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you! 'No you can't!' Yes I can! 'No you can't!' Yes I can! 'No you can't!' Yes I can! Yes I can!_ '_Anything you can be, I can be greater. Sooner or later I'm greater than you!' No you're not! 'Yes I am!' No you're not! 'Yes I am!' No you're not! 'Yes I am! Yes I am!'" - Doris Day and Robert Goulet , "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)"_

"I am honestly surprised that there have not been more riots," Radek said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"You heard all the details about the first major one, right?" Elizabeth asked. "When the protestors almost succeeded in burning down the White House?"

"What did the President expect?" Aiden chimed in. "She just told the whole country that there are aliens on hundreds of worlds, and that we've making allies with some of them and trying to save Earth from other ones. For almost thirty years."

"We knew they'd have a hard time accepting the truth no matter when they were told," Elizabeth commented. "I'm just glad that Earth is currently at peace. According to the media, the nation isn't in a panic so much as they're outraged at not being told sooner."

"Think she'll stand a chance of re-election?" Aiden asked, actually paying attention to politics these days, as he was now of voting age.

"Probably not," Elizabeth sighed. "Which is unfortunate, because she's been a good strong president."

"Eight o'clock in the morning and we're already talking politics?" asked a tired-looking John, as he and Evie approached the table and pulled up chairs.

"Eight o'clock was an hour ago," Radek commented.

"We had a late night last night," John replied.

"We know; you two made the paper," Elizabeth said, handing John a copy of the newspaper that Walter had tossed through the Gate earlier that morning.

_"Military Commander of Atlantis Enjoys a Night on the Town." _The headline was accompanied by two color photos of John and Evie swing-dancing.

"So this is what you two did after the press conference was over and Radek and I left?" Elizabeth asked.

"It was swing night at O'Reilly's," John said. "Evie's favorite."

"You know how to swing?" Radek asked, impressed.

"And waltz and salsa," Evie added with a grin.

When Elizabeth looked at John with an amused smirk, he said, "Hey, the Air Force Academy hosted a lot of formal dances when I was there…"

Radek was about to make a teasing comment when his son's voice came over the radio. "Paging Radek Zelenka. Dad, where _are_ you? We have to work on your project!"

Radek smiled at Lukas's enthusiasm. "I will be there shortly," he answered, then said to the rest of them, "If you will please excuse me."

"I should probably get going, too," Elizabeth sighed, pushing her chair back and standing up. "I have some requisition paperwork to fill out."

"Have fun," John called after her.

"Hey, look, they even spelled my name right," Evie commented, having finished reading the few short paragraphs that accompanied the photos.

"Yes they did, Evangeline," John said, skimming the words.

"The pictures are good, too. I actually look like I have boobs in this one."

"Huh," John said, looking at the photo. "Must have been wearing your push-up bra."

Evie made an indignant noise at the same time as Aiden cried, "Burn!"

"See if I ever go anywhere with _you_ again," she pouted at her husband, who was still smirking proudly at his perfect comeback. "Rude…"

XXXXXX

"These numbers aren't right, Dad," Lukas said, pointing to some of the figures on the whiteboard in Radek's lab

Zelenka stared at the coefficients to which his son was calling his attention. "_Dobr__ý__ smutek_," he said after a minute. "You're right." He quickly erased the numbers and corrected them. "See anything else, Einstein?"

Lukas chuckled. "No, Dad, the rest of the math looks good. Now let's work on the body of the article. We have to get this done before the end of the month."

"Why are you in such rush, _d__í__tě_?"

"_Because_," Lukas answered, pushing up his glasses, "now that the Stargate program is public knowledge, you've got to get this out before someone else beats you to it."

"I see." Radek nodded. "Alright. Well, obviously we should define 'wormhole' first…"

XXXXXX

"Maybe if we…" Radek typed a few sentences. "How about that?"

Lukas wheeled over next to his father. "That's perfect, Dad," he smiled. "And then we can include _this_ equation…"

"Yes, yes, and that will lead directly into--"

"Talking about solar flares, right. Oh, and don't forget to cite--"

"Samantha Carter there, yes."

"You boys sound like you're having fun," Elizabeth commented, having poked her head in the door a few seconds ago.

"We have a week left to finish this, and it's only about three-fourths done," Lukas said.

Elizabeth crossed the room and read over her husband's shoulder for a minute. "I'm not going to pretend to understand all of this, but it _looks_ good," she smiled.

"It is still far from finished," Radek said, sifting through his notes.

"Is it finished enough for you two to join me for dinner?" she asked, hopeful.

Lukas held up two brown paper bags. "We're good, Mom," he said. "And before you ask, yes, they're healthy meals."

Elizabeth nodded approvingly. "Well…if you two ever decide to take a break…"

"We'll come chill with you, Mom. Promise." He smiled at her, then turned back to his father. "So, anyways, I think we should definitely use Dr. Carter's experience of being sent back to 1969..."

XXXXXX

"Four more days until the deadline," Radek said, staring tiredly at their article.

"Well, we've finished the second draft," Lukas pointed out. "I think we should leave it alone for a day or two, _then_ come back and see what needs changing for the final edit."

"Good idea," Radek said, shutting down his laptop. "What would you like to do instead?"

Lukas began strapping on his leg braces. "I say we go get ice cream."

Radek grinned. "That is the best idea you've had all night."

XXXXXX

"Lukas?" Elizabeth called as she entered the mostly-dark lab. "Radek? It's past midnight, when are you com--" She stopped when she saw Radek slumped over his work station, snoring quietly. She turned to look for her son, and saw him sprawled out in a swivel chair, half a dozen papers in his lap. She smiled and amusedly wondered which one of them had fallen asleep first. She decided against waking them up, knowing that tomorrow was their deadline and that they'd want to resume working first thing in the morning. Instead, she pulled a blanket from Radek's bottom desk drawer and lay it over Lukas. Then she grabbed her husband's jacket and gently draped it over him. "Sweet dreams, boys," she whispered.

XXXXXX

"It's finished, it's finished!" Lukas cried, waving a folder and wheeling into the Control Room as quickly as he could, Radek not far behind. "Dial Earth, please, Mr. Chuck," he requested.

Chuck looked to Elizabeth for permission, and she nodded. "Stargate Command, coming right up," Chuck said, pressing the buttons on the DHD.

"You're going to Earth?" came Rodney's voice from behind them.

"We are," Radek answered. "Do you need something?"

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Umm… All right… May I ask why?"

Rodney held up a thick mailing envelope. "I just finished up a journal article and wanted to mail it off."

Radek stared at him. "_You_ wrote one, too?"

"Yes. Wait, what do you mean 'too'?"

"I am mailing an article I wrote for _Contemporary Physics_."

"Huh." Rodney pointed to the address scrawled on his package; it was to _Contemporary Physics_ as well. "Well, great minds think alike."

"I suppose…" Radek said, still staring at Rodney's envelope. "What is your article about?"

"Wormhole physics," Rodney answered.

"Really?" Radek asked, looking a little worried. "Lukas and I spent the last three weeks working on an article about wormhole physics as well."

"Oh." Rodney didn't appear bothered. "Well, I'm sure the journal will read them both and publish the best one," he said nonchalantly.

"I guess so," Radek said. "We will have to wait a month to find out."

"Plenty of time for me to move on to more important things," Rodney said conceitedly. "Like my ZedPM research."

Annoyed, Radek was about to make a nasty comment when Chuck said, "SGC is ready for you."

Rodney smiled at the envelope in his hands, then he turned to his Czech colleague. "May the best man win."

Radek just turned away and rolled his eyes.

XXXXXX

"Mail and a newspaper," Summer announced to those eating a late lunch in the mess hall.

Rodney and Radek were on their feet almost simultaneously. When they'd reached Summer, Rodney asked, "Anything for me?" at the same time as Radek said, "I am expecting something."

"Sorry, but I didn't see anything for either of you guys," she said, holding only three letters. "One's for Elizabeth, one's for Colonel Lorne, and one's for Colonel Donovan."

Both men sighed, and Radek took Elizabeth's letter instead.

"Can I see the paper?" John asked as Summer passed their table.

Summer tossed it to him and Evie commented, "Since when do you read the paper?"

John peeled the pages back and pulled out a colorful section. "Hello? Comics!" Aiden laughed.

Evie smiled and was about to comment when she noticed a headline on the paper he had discarded. Evie picked up the newspaper and frowned at what she saw. John had attended another press conference last night, while Evie had elected to stay home. He hadn't mentioned doing anything other than answering the reporters, but there in full color under the bold words _"Atlantis Commander Heats Things Up With Actress"_ was a picture of John dancing around the floor of O'Reilly's with another woman in his arms.

"Excuse me," she said, yanking his comics away and shoving the offensive article into his lap, "who is this?"

John looked at the paper and winced. _'Damn reporters.'_ "Ashley Tipton," he answered.

"Were you two best friends in high school?"

"No."

"Then why the heck were you dancing with her?" she accused.

"I-I just met her," John answered, caught off-guard by her hostility. "She came up to me after the press conference and we started talking. It was just a dance, Evie."

"'Brigadier General John Sheppard, military commander of Atlantis, was seen having drinks at O'Reilly's with British actress Ashley Tipton after last night's press conference,'" Evie read aloud. "'The two then took to the dance floor, their grace and intimate moves putting the other couples to shame. After several dances, Tipton bid Sheppard goodnight with a kiss on his cheek, thanking him for the evening. This morning, a change in Miss Tipton's schedule was made: she'll be in New York next week, during the Stargate Program's press conference about Off-World Allies. Could there be more going on between these two than meets the eye?'" She threw the article in his lap when she was done.

"Evie, that's bullshit," he said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Is it?"

"Yes!"

"Then why didn't you mention the fact that you went dancing with her last night?"

"I didn't think it was important."

"You didn't think it was important?!" Evie repeated, incredulous. "John, you went with another woman on what was for all intents and purposes a _date_."

"I did _not_," John insisted. "She was bored, I was bored. We had _one_ drink together and only two dances. She changed her schedule because her step-brother's getting married in New York next week. Satisfied?"

"You could have _told_ me about her," Evie maintained. "I asked you why you were in so late last night when you came to bed and you never answered me."

"I was tired."

"From dancing with some blonde bombshell. I noticed," Evie frowned. "Why didn't you tell her 'no' when she asked you to go with her? Unless, of course, she used her feminine wiles to seduce you, poor baby?" she sneered.

Aiden hated the tone his mother was using and he stiffened when his father began to increase his volume.

"What do you want to hear, Evie?" John said, raising his voice. "That I was attracted to her? Fine. I thought she was very attractive. I liked her."

Evie clenched her teeth, not sure whether she wanted to burst into tears or hit him. "Oh, so it's okay for you to go behind my back and flirt and dance with her if she's attractive?"

John bristled. "You did the _same_ damn thing with Major Cooper last month," John charged. "You flirted and talked and had a crush on him for a good two weeks. But I trusted you not to do anything, and I just waited until you got it out of your head. But when _I_ do it, oh God, lock him up in the bedroom, he's gonna have an affair!"

Aiden's chair scooted back so fast, it made a loud scraping noise. Both Evie and John looked up to see him leaving as quickly as he could without running. Evie winced, remembering how awful it had felt as a child watching _her _parents fight. Seeing how upset their heated argument had made her son, she softened her tone. "I know you're not having an affair, John."

"Do you? Because I thought that's exactly what you were accusing me of."

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. But, John, you didn't _tell_ me. I saw you two in the paper after you made no mention of her. What was I supposed to think?"

He sighed. "Not telling you was stupid, but I figured you'd still get just as mad at me if I told you that I was out past midnight with someone else."

After a pause she admitted, "I probably would have."

"Then what would you have me do?"

"Well, don't go places with other women for starters," she said with a hint of a smile.

"No more sneaking off with pretty girls. Got it."

Evie rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry for accusing you, John," she said quietly. "Especially in front of Aiden."

"It's okay. I--"

"John?" Elizabeth's voice called over the radio.

He keyed his comm. "Yes, ma'am?"

"I need to see you in my office when you get a chance, please."

"Will do. Are we good, Evie?"

She nodded. "Have fun."

John leaned over to hug her, and murmured next to her ear, "You know something?"

"Hmm?"

"Ashley isn't half as pretty as you."

Evie smiled.

XXXXXX

Ten o'clock at night was an odd time to get mail, but sometimes in the Pegasus galaxy, that's just how it went. Fortunately, almost nobody went to bed before ten o'clock, so Lukas was still awake and around when two very important pieces of mail were handed to him by Chuck.

"They're finally here!" Lukas said excitedly, hobbling into McKay's lab, where his father was talking with Rodney. "One for you, and one for you," he said, handing the respective envelopes to the two men. They both quickly tore through the envelopes and began reading aloud simultaneously.

"Dear Dr. Zelenka…"

"Dear Dr. McKay…"

"We read your article on wormhole physics…"

"We read your article on wormhole physics…"

"And we would like to publish it in our next issue of _Contemporary Physics_!"

"Unfortunately, we will not be publishing your work at this time." Rodney's face fell. He didn't take rejection well. Especially when it meant that _Zelenka_ was apparently better than him. He was vaguely aware of Lukas and Radek congratulating each other in their miserable excuse for a language. Then Lukas poked his arm.

"Don't look so sad," he said. "Your article _was_ good, Dr. McKay. Perhaps next time." He turned back to his father. "I'm gonna go tell Mom! Want to come with me?"

Noticing Rodney slipping away to sulk, Radek answered, "Go. I will be there momentarily."

Lukas cheerily left the lab.

Radek sighed and walked over to where Rodney was poking at his tablet, pretending to work. "I'm sorry that they didn't accept your article, Rodney," he offered.

"What do I care?" Rodney lied. "It's just a stupid article in a dumb journal. My ZedPM research is much more important. It's probably going to win me a Nobel Prize."

"Yes, Rodney, I believe it probably will," Radek said genuinely. "So why don't you stop moping and go work on it some more?"

"Right, right." Rodney turned and rolled over to his workstation. "Goodnight, Radek."

"I didn't mean right now," Zelenka said.

"Oh, and if you wouldn't mind getting me a coffee, that'd be great," Rodney said, already engrossed in research.

Radek sighed and turned to go, muttering, "_Němý_ over-achiever."


	60. Eighteen Years, I Guess it Was Alright

**August 2024 - Eighteen Years Old**

_"Things are changing. It seems strange and I need to figure this out. You've got your life, I got mine, but you're all I cared about. Yesterday we were laughing, today I'm left here asking where has all the time gone now? I'm left alone somehow. Growing up and getting older, I don't want to believe it's over. Don't say goodbye, 'cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight." - Skillet, "Say Goodbye"_

Chuck was playing solitaire on his laptop when it suddenly alerted him that the jumper bay roof was opening. "Jumper three, please identify," he called over the radio. There was silence. "Jumper three, identify immediately." When there was still no answer, he called for Dr. Weir.

"What is it, Chuck?" she asked, handing him a new cup of coffee.

"Jumper three left the bay and is headed for the mainland."

"I wasn't aware anyone was scheduled to take one of the jumpers out," Elizabeth commented.

"No one is."

Elizabeth raised a brow. "Do we know who it is?"

"That's the thing, ma'am. I radioed them twice, but they refused to identify."

"Patch me into the jumper," Elizabeth ordered. Chuck did so. "Jumper three, please identify." Still more silence. "Jumper three, this is Dr. Weir, identify yourself _now_."

* * *

"Dude, they're probably going to fire drones at us or something if we don't say who we are."

"They wouldn't do that…would they?"

"I wouldn't put it past them."

"Oh, fine. Uhh, Atlantis… this is Aiden Sheppard in jumper three."

There was a long silence on the other end. "Are you by yourself?" Elizabeth finally asked.

"No, ma'am," Aiden answered with a cocky grin. "I've got Aaron Murphy as my copilot."

The strain in Elizabeth's voice was evident as she asked, "And are you two boys taking a joyride?"

"What would give you that idea, ma'am?"

There was an exasperated sigh. "Jumper three, return to Atlantis immediately. You're both due for a full _parental_ debriefing."

"Yes, ma'am. Jumper three out."

"Dude, we are _so_ busted," Aaron lamented.

"Yeah, but it was worth it," Aiden grinned. "Watch this." He turned hard right, making a sharp u-turn, and then began doing loop-the-loop's on his way back to the city. "Whoo-hoo!"

XXXXXX

Summer, Evie, and John were waiting impatiently in the jumper bay when Aiden and Aaron stepped out of the stolen jumper.

"And what do you two partners in crime have to say for yourselves?" a very irate Summer asked.

"We're very sorry, we'll never do it again, and we'd like to go to our rooms right now and think about our naughty behavior," Aiden answered with mock-sincerity.

"Aiden Nathaniel, if you didn't have a crapload of things to get done today, that's exactly what you'd be doing," Evie said sternly. "Do you have any idea how foolish that was? A hundred things could have happened to you!"

Aiden fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Like what?"

"The jumper could have malfunctioned, you could have crashed, we could have had to evacuate the city, the Replicators could have shown up, you could have gotten shot down," John listed. "I could go on…"

"We'd never done anything crazy before and just wanted to have a little fun," Aaron answered honestly. "We're really sorry."

"I forgive you, Aaron, but you're still going to be grounded for a week starting tomorrow," Summer decided.

"But it was _Aiden's_ idea!" he insisted.

"I don't care; you went along with it. Besides, I'm sure Aiden's getting punished, too."

Evie thought for a minute. "Grounding won't work, he's leaving tomorrow… Umm… I can't confine him to his quarters because the city's put a lot of time and energy into planning his party tonight… Umm… Crap."

"You could make him write 'I will not steal puddle jumpers' a thousand times," John suggested, only half-teasing.

"How about a letter of apology to Dr. Weir," Evie said. "And then I don't want to see you again until your stuff is completely packed."

"Yes, ma'am," Aiden answered, knowing that he was getting off easy.

"And no video games or movies or music," John added. "At all."

Aiden sighed. That was a little more like what he'd been expecting. "Yes, sir."

XXXXXX

"I can't believe you have so much crap," Aaron said, tying off a trash bag full of clothes and odds and ends to be donated.

"Hey, my mom's a packrat, too," Aiden said in his own defense. "Aww, I made this robot in sixth grade!" He held up the creature made from discarded circuit boards, a battery, and hot-glue. He flipped the switch on the back of the robot and the two green LEDs that had been inserted as eyes lit up. "His eyes still glow," he chuckled, then turned it off and placed the creation in the new bag Aaron had labeled "donate".

Aaron opened another one of Aiden's drawers. "More t-shirts? Are you kidding me?"

Aiden shrugged.

Aaron pulled out a pink shirt that all the kids had been forced to wear for a benefit a year ago. "I think this one should just be thrown away," he joked.

"Go for it," Aiden said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the "trash" trash bag, which was also nearly full.

Aaron tossed the pink monstrosity and then continued sorting through the drawer. "What about this one?" he asked, holding up a t-shirt that said in colorful letters, "I love you like a fat kid loves cake."

Aiden chuckled when he saw it. "Rachel gave me that."

"I don't get it."

"It was an inside joke."

"So…donate?"

"No, I'll keep it," Aiden said, taking the shirt from his friend.

Aaron looked confused. "But I thought you two--"

"We did."

Aaron was silent for a moment. "How'd she take it?"

"Actually…_she_ was the one who had the guts to say it first," Aiden said, placing the shirt in his suitcase…

_"I think it's awesome that you want to be in the Air Force and hopefully come back to Atlantis someday, I really do, Aiden. I mean, __**I**__ still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. But I do know that I could never be the good little military wife who stays back in the states with the baby while her husband is shipped off to God knows where. And I know we've never talked about getting married or even thought that far ahead, but if we try to keep this going after you graduate from the Academy, that's exactly where we'll be. Besides, do you really want to try to have an intergalactic relationship? We'd __**never**__ get to see each other." _

_Aiden was speechless for a moment. "I think that is the most mature thing you've ever said to me," he cracked after his pause. Rachel rolled her eyes. "But honestly…" he continued. "I was kind of thinking the same thing." _

_Rachel's eyebrows went up. "You were? Really?" _

_"Well, not the whole stateside wife thing," he answered truthfully. "But trying to keep up our relationship when we'd never see each other? When I'm off at the Academy with all these new people? I know that'd be impossible for both of us. I just… I couldn't think of how to tell you that I thought we should break up." _

_"So, of course, you left it up to me." _

_Aiden shrugged. There was an awkward pause. _

_"So this is it? We're just…over?" She looked sad. _

_"I guess…" He looked a little gloomy, too. _

_"We're still friends though, right?" she asked quickly, looking worried now. _

_"Of course," he assured. _

_She nodded. There was silence between them for a moment, then she asked, "Now are you glad that we never had sex?" _

_Aiden chuckled, then nodded his head. "Yeah… Now maybe the guy you give it to will be the one you're really supposed to end up with." _

_Rachel smiled. "Hopefully." _

_Caitlyn interrupted them by poking her head in the door. "Rachel, c'mon, we're gonna be late!" She dashed off. _

_Rachel looked up at Aiden sadly. "I have to go. See you later, I guess?" _

_Aiden leaned over and gave her a final kiss. Rachel then pulled him into a tight hug. "I know we're doing the right thing, but I'm gonna miss you," she whispered. _

_"Yeah," he mumbled sadly. "Me, too…" _

XXXXXX

Later that evening, everyone except two guards and a technician in the Gate Room were gathered in the Great Hall for Aiden's reception. Nothing special had been done when Aiden had graduated in May, so they'd decided to do something to honor him the night before he left. A lasagna dinner had been prepared, along with several wonderful-looking desserts. It was informal enough, but Evie was wearing a skirt and had made Aiden put on a dress shirt and slacks, as he was the guest of honor. A screen and a projector had been set up and a slideshow of pictures of Aiden from birth to eighteen played on a loop throughout dinner.

After everyone had finished dessert, the lights were dimmed and a video pieced together from all of the home video footage Evie had taken began to play. Evie had tried to work on the video with Rodney, but when she'd started crying for the fourth time, Summer had come in, hugged her friend, and sent her off for ice cream while _she_ helped Rodney finish putting the video together. The tribute started off with Evie handing a tiny baby Aiden to Michael.

_"Well, aren't you just adorable?" Michael cooed, bouncing the baby in his arms. _

_Aiden burbled happily for a moment, then spit up half the milk he'd just been fed. _

_Michael's shocked expression was priceless as he stared at Aiden, then at his ruined shirt, then at Evie. "Evie…your baby just exploded all over me…" _

_Evie laughed so hard that she snorted. _

There were several more short clips of Aiden as an infant, and then they moved on to him as a toddler.

_"Aiden! Go tell Uncle John your new word," Evie coaxed from behind the camera. When seven-month-old Aiden just looked at her funny, Evie set the camera down on a shelf to act as a tripod, then walked over beside John and pointed at his boots. "Aiden, what is this?" she asked. _

_"Zhoo!" Aiden cried with a smile. _

_John looked amused. "'Shoe'?" he repeated. _

_"That's his first word," Evie announced proudly. _

_"It couldn't be something cool like 'plane' or 'cookie'…" John said. "No, my son picked a girly word like 'shoe.'" They both stared at each other a second later when they realized what he'd said. "Don't show that to anyone," he said and she nodded. _

_Unaware of his parents' predicament, Aiden cried, "Zhoo!" again and stuffed John's bootlace into his mouth. _

When John looked over and noticed that Evie was sniffling into a tissue, he leaned over and whispered, "Well, you made it past the first minute, which is better than I thought you'd do."

"There's a pool going based on how much I cry tonight, isn't there?"

John shrugged innocently.

Evie reached for a new tissue and continued watching.

_"Why are you bothering me?" Rodney asked. _

_"'Cause I wike you," three-year-old Aiden answered innocently. _

_Even Rodney couldn't resist __**that**__. "Fine. What do you want?" _

_"Unca John wants me to tell you something," Aiden replied. _

_"Alright, what is it?" _

_Aiden cleared his throat. "Your mommy was a han-ster and your daddy smelled wike bewwies." _

_Rodney looked up at the person holding the camera. "Sheppard, you __**let**__ him watch Monty Python?" _

The next clip was of Aiden when he was about five.

_"Hey, mom, look what I can do!" little Aiden said. He slipped his arm inside his shirt, placed it under his armpit, and grinned boyishly as he showed off his new talent of "arm-farting." _

_Evie did not look pleased. "Aiden, who taught you how to do that?" _

_"Uncle John," he answered. _

_Evie turned and glared at the person holding the camera. _

Everyone laughed at the severity in Evie's expression, and then the image on the screen changed to one of Dakota, Rachel, and Aiden performing one of their plays. Dakota was dressed as a witch, Rachel as a princess, and Aiden as a prince.

_Aiden pretended to stab Dakota several times before she collapsed onto the floor. _

_"Oh, my handsome prince!" Rachel exclaimed, leaning in to kiss Aiden. _

_"No!" he cried, pointing his wooden sword at her to stop her. _

_"Aiden, we practiced this! The prince and Rapunzel kiss and then live happily ever after!" _

_"I'm __**not**__ really kissing you," Aiden insisted, keeping the tip of his sword aimed at her. _

_She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern frown. "Aiden," she said firmly, trying not to get angry. "You're ruining the movie." _

_"I don't care. I won't kiss you." _

_She stomped her foot. "You're a horrible prince! I knew I should have married Aaron instead!" _

Everyone burst out laughing and nearly drowned out the next clip, which was of Aiden's eighth birthday party and the piñata Jay Felger had bought for him. The video continued for about five minutes more, ending with a shot from just a few months ago of Evie and Aiden making his birthday cake.

_"Aww, look at my little boy," John said from behind the camera. "He's baking…" _

_"Go away," Evie said, tossing a pinch of flour at him. _

_"So is this a new hobby of yours?" John teased. _

_"No, we do this every year," Aiden answered. _

_"Oh. Why wasn't I invited?" he asked, feigning hurt. _

_"Because it's a mother-son thing," Evie replied. _

_"Yeah, we're bonding," Aiden said. He pulled his mother against him and began patting her head like a doll. "I wuv my mommy." _

_"I wuv you too, but if you get flour in my hair, I'll crack an egg on your head." _

_Aiden just laughed. _

Evie decided she was glad that she hadn't bothered to wear any eye makeup as she wiped her eyes for the umpteenth time and then joined the applause.

When the clapping had died down, Elizabeth stood up. "Oh behalf of John, Evie, and Aiden, I would like to thank all of you for coming tonight," she began her impromptu speech. "Aiden, you had the honor of being the first baby born in Atlantis. Unfortunately, this also means you're the first one we have to say goodbye to. I know that your eighteen years here have been an incredible, if a bit rocky, journey. Know that we all love you and you'll be missed." Radek handed her laptop with a big red bow on it. "As a parting gift, we'd like to give you this for school."

Aiden's eyes about bugged out of his head. He'd begged and pleaded and thrown a small fit when his parents had refused to buy him a laptop; now he finally understood why they hadn't. When he realized that everyone was clapping again and waiting for him to accept his gift, he left his seat and walked over to where Elizabeth was standing.

"Thank you, Dr. Weir," he said, taking the wrapped box.

"You're very welcome," she smiled. "Good luck at the Academy." She offered him her hand, but Aiden hugged her instead.

XXXXXX

John was in that state of consciousness somewhere between awake and asleep. He didn't know what had woken him up, but he didn't really care so long as he fell right back to sleep. He rolled over to his other side and stretched his arm out to find his wife. When he felt only empty mattress, he opened his eyes. "Evie?" he mumbled sleepily. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust. It was then that he realized that there was a lot more moonlight shining into the room than normal; the door to the balcony was open.

He got out of bed, picking up the blanket and wrapping it around himself. He stepped outside and saw Evie leaning against the wall, chewing her thumbnail worriedly. "Hey," he said, sitting down in the chair.

"Hey." She released her thumb and looked over at him. "Couldn't sleep…"

"I noticed. So what's on your mind?"

"We're dropping him off at college tomorrow, John," she said with anxiety evident in her voice. "_College_. Our baby is going to _college_. And I won't be there with him."

"Getting out from under your parents' wings is kind of the point of going to college, Evie," John pointed out.

"I know, but… What if he makes bad choices? Or falls in with the wrong crowd? What if he goes out drinking and misses an exam because he has a hangover?"

"Evie, we raised him better than that," he assured her. "Now he's got to take what he's learned and decide how to make his own decisions. It's like what eagles do. You've got to push him out of the nest and see if he flies or goes splat."

"But I don't want him to go splat!" she cried.

"Evie," he started, trying not to laugh. "He'll be fine, I know he will. And we can go visit him every weekend if you want."

"Nuh-uh! For the first five weeks of Basic Cadet Training he can't have any visitors or even phone calls. Don't think I didn't look it all up. He's going to be all on his own for _five_ weeks."

"Evie… You knew he had to grow up someday."

"I just didn't want it to come so soon," she said sadly.

John opened up his blanket. "C'mere." Evie shuffled over to him and then curled up on his lap. He wrapped the blanket around them both and kissed her cheek. "You know, you're not the only one who's going to miss him."

"But you're not going to cry the whole car ride there and back tomorrow…"

John chuckled. "I'm still gonna miss him. But I think he's going to miss us, too. He's not going to cut ties and never see us again."

"I know, I just… He's my _baby_."

"I thought I was your baby?"

"Mmm…he's my helpless boy and you're my handsome prince," she murmured as she snuggled against his chest.

"You really think he's helpless?"

"Well…he can't _cook_," she said after a pause.

"Somehow I think he'll manage."

"Maybe." She sighed.

They fell into silence for a few minutes and John was just about to ask if they could go back to bed when Evie asked, "So when are we going to retire?"

John had _not_ been expecting that. "I… That was kind of out of the blue, Evie."

"No, it's not. Aiden's leaving, so that got me to thinking about when _we'd_ leave."

"You want to leave Atlantis?"

"Not right now," she answered. "But I don't want to be here forever."

"Oh."

"Why? Do you?"

"I honestly haven't thought about it much."

"You want to keep fighting Replicators when you're eighty? You'll be chasing after 'em with your walker, wheezing, 'Git back here and fight, you piece of crap!'"

John laughed. "And I suppose you'll be watching me from a rocking chair, pointing your knitting needles at me and saying, 'Run faster, you old fart!'"

Evie giggled. "Something like that."

"I'll _guess_ we'll retire before that point. But what will we do? Are you going to make quilts and watch soap operas while I go out and play golf with stuffy military people?"

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of doing lots of traveling and maybe taking care of my aging parents and/or the grandbabies," Evie said.

"There's going to be grandbabies?"

"There better be grandbabies. But you don't even have to stop working completely," she said, offering a compromise. "You always said that if you got injured and had to leave that you wanted to maybe teach high school calculus."

"But I'm not injured."

"John…"

"Well what do you want me to say?" he asked, clearly frustrated. "You want me to give you a date? Like, we'll retire in five years, I promise?"

"No, baby, I just want you to think about it," she answered softly. "I'm sorry."

"It's just that there's still so much we can do here," John said. "Obviously my desk job isn't what I'd prefer, but I still haven't met anyone else that I'd trust to do it. And Dr. Coulson managed to not get himself killed last week, thanks to your combat training."

"I know, John. I didn't mean right now."

"Besides, we still have to get Aiden through college."

"Yeah…"

"How about we agree to seriously talk about this after he graduates?" John suggested. "Would that make you happy?"

"Okay." She yawned.

"But we definitely can't retire before Rodney," John decided. "He'd love that. He'd call us quitters."

"Mmm."

"But Catie and Dakota are like two years behind Aiden. So Rodney'll probably have to stay a few years longer…"

"Mmm."

"You're going to fall asleep on me, aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Hope you don't get a crick in your neck." After a pause he added, "G'night."

Evie didn't say anything, she just snored quietly.

XXXXXX

"Mom? Dad?" Pause. "Mom, Dad!"

Sheppard started at the loud voice. "Nuh?" He blinked at the bright sunlight shining in his eyes. Why the hell was he outside?

"While I think it's adorable that you two fell asleep watching the sunset together or whatever," the annoying voice spoke again, "we gotta go soon."

"Five more minutes…"

John looked down and saw his wife in his lap, both of them wrapped in the blanket. Oh, yeah… "What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Almost ten," Aiden said. "I assumed that you guys had already eaten breakfast and were busy doing something before we left."

John began shaking Evie, who groaned pitifully in protest. "Evie, we don't want to be late and miss the move-in time."

"Yes, we do."

"I'll push you off my lap and onto the floor," he threatened.

"No, you won't." When John started shoving, Evie squealed and climbed off his lap willingly. "I'm up, I'm up!"

"Then go get dressed," Aiden hurried her. "They're bringing all my crap to the Gate Room at ten-thirty."

"I'll be there," she promised through a yawn.

XXXXXX

"Did you already sign the non-disclosure agreement?" John asked Aiden as Chuck began dialing Earth.

"Yes, Dad," Aiden sighed. "I've done everything, everything's ready, and, yes, I have all my stuff."

"Okay, okay…"

"Are you off?" The Sheppard trio looked up to see Rodney walking towards them just as the Gate kawooshed.

"Yep," Aiden answered.

"Well… Congratulations," Rodney said. "Good luck, study hard, don't do drugs, and all that."

Aiden laughed. "Is this your way of telling me that you'll miss me, McKay?"

"_Miss_ is a strong word," Rodney stated. Then he stuck his hand out in a manly parting gesture and said, "Have fun."

When Aiden went to shake his hand, Evie rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, just hug him, Aiden."

Their near-handshake turned into a semi-awkward hug and Evie giggled.

"Alright," John said, beginning to push one of the dollies that had Aiden's boxes on it. "Let's go."

XXXXXX

By listening to quiet, calming music, and not making eye contact with her husband or her son, Evie managed to keep her eyes dry during the drive from Cheyenne Mountain to the Air Force Academy.

When they unloaded his stuff into his new room and Aiden pulled out the picture collage that Summer had made for him, however, Evie lost it. She did refrain from sobbing, but tears slipped silently down her cheeks as they unpacked and put away his clothes.

After a few more boxes, Aiden noticed the time and said, "I think I can take care of the rest."

"You sure?" John asked, and Aiden nodded. "Alright. We'd stay for lunch, but since your mother and I ate breakfast around ten…"

"Yeah… Time to say goodbye, then?"

Evie sniffled on cue. Aiden walked over to her and gave her a big hug. Evie held him tightly, his much larger frame towering over her. "I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he said quietly. A moment later, when she was still clinging to him, he said, "Umm… Mom? You have to let me go at some point."

"Sorry," she whispered and stepped back. "Bye."

"Aiden, you make sure and study hard," John said, imparting final words of advice. "And remember that getting drunk is only fun for about the first three hours, and then yo--" John was caught completely off-guard by Aiden stepping forward and hugging him; they hadn't really had any physical contact since Aiden had walked in on his parents those rough few years ago.

When John's brain caught up, he hugged his son back, finally feeling a hint of the strong emotions that had had Evie frazzled all last night and today.

Aiden was apparently feeling a twinge of sadness as well, because Evie saw him swipe at his eyes as he was letting John go. "No binge drinking, no drugs, no prostitutes," he said. "I think I got it."

"We'll come visit after BCT's over," John promised.

"Sounds good." He walked them to the door and opened it. "Bye."

Evie turned around and gave him one last hug. "Bye, Aiden," she whispered. When she released him, she grabbed John's hand, squeezing it as they left his room and the door shut behind them.

"You okay, Evie?" John asked.

She just looked up at him with watery eyes. Then she noticed two duffels next to the dollies in the hallway. "Oh, he forgot these," she said, stooping to pick up the one closest to her.

"Actually…those aren't Aiden's," John replied. When Evie looked up at him with questioning eyes, he said, "Look in the front pocket."

Evie unzipped the duffel pocket and found a blue folder. When she opened it, she saw a travel itinerary, plane tickets, hotel reservations, and tickets to two Broadway shows. "Oh my-- John, are you taking me to New York?!" she exclaimed, jumping up.

"Surprise," he said with a smile. "I figured you'd need some sort of distraction after dropping him off, so…" He gestured to the folder. "I packed you a bag. And if you need a dress for the shows, you can buy a new one there." When Evie just stood there, speechless, John asked, "Do you like it?"

Evie nodded and jumped into his arms. "It's perfect," she said, hugging his neck. "Thank you, John."

"Anything for you, Evie," he said, holding her close.

She felt another rise of emotion and quickly wiped her eyes. "I love you so much, baby," she murmured.

He smiled. "I love you, too."

Finis

* * *

**Final Author's Note:**

I won't make this too long. Wow, this has been an incredible journey. I started this story on April 19, 2006, and finished it on August 22, 2008. Don't fear that this is the end, though. I have a few ideas for one or two _much shorter_ stories, one dealing with some of the other kids growing up, as well as an "insert" story that takes place back when Aiden was still a baby.

**Gracias: **First off, I'd like to thank the readers. You guys were so faithful to this long story, and it wouldn't have been half the fun to write if you guys weren't there telling me that you liked it.

Tigger, thanks for keeping me in line, and providing inspiration when I needed it. And thank you for making sure that everyone's inner Monk was satisfied with an even 60 chapters. :-D

Commodore Norrington, I think you know this story wouldn't have been possible without you. It would have been an unfinished Works file of ideas, half-baked plots, and random lines. Thank you so much for all your beta work and brain-storming ideas.

For anyone who cares, when I get the chance I'm going to post a sort of "behind the scenes" list of trivia and inside jokes from this saga on my website, which is listed on my profile.

See you guys in the next fic! :-D


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